- The US Treasury has sanctioned Integrity Technology Group
- He claims the company was used in attacks on Western entities.
- Both Integrity and the Chinese government criticize the decision
A Chinese technology company allegedly linked to the notorious state-sponsored threat actor known as Flax Typhoon has been blacklisted by the United States.
In a press release, the US Treasury Department said it had issued sanctions against Integrity Technology Group, “for its role in multiple incidents of computer intrusion against American victims.”
Integrity Technology Group is also known as Yongxin Zhicheng Technology Group. It is described as a cybersecurity company based in Beijing, China, specializing in the production and sale of cybersecurity products. This includes networked shooting range platforms, honeypot and security monitoring products, security tools, and security protection solutions.
“Smear campaign”
According to the Treasury Department, between summer 2022 and fall 2023, Flax Typhoon actors used Integrity Tech infrastructure during their computer network exploitation activities against “multiple victims.”
“During that time, Flax Typhoon was routinely sending and receiving information from Integrity Tech's infrastructure,” the press release states.
The Chinese government criticized the decision, calling it a smear campaign. Commenting on the news, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said the country has cracked down on cyberattacks and that Washington was using the issue to “smear and smear China,” AP reports.
“For some time now, the US side has been taking advantage of so-called Chinese cyber attacks and even initiated illegal unilateral sanctions against China,” Guo said. “China firmly opposes this and will take necessary measures to safeguard its legitimate rights and interests.”
At the same time, Integrity Technology Group stated that the sanctions were not based on facts: “The company strongly opposes the US Treasury Department's unjustified accusations and illegal unilateral sanctions against the company,” the company said in a statement to the Shanghai Stock Exchange.
Flax Typhoon is known for conducting cyberespionage campaigns targeting critical infrastructure, government entities, and private organizations, primarily in the United States. The group employs stealth tactics to maintain long-term access to networks, often exploiting vulnerabilities and using compromised credentials to avoid detection.
Through SiliconANGLE