BEIJING, Oct. 14 (Xinhua) -- U.S. intelligence agencies have been engaged in cyber espionage globally and have implemented "false flag" operations to mislead investigators and researchers and frame other countries, according to an investigation into the alleged cyber threat known as "Volt Typhoon."
The "Volt Typhoon" operation is in fact a political farce staged by the U.S. government itself, said the report, titled "Volt Typhoon III: A Cyber Espionage and Disinformation Campaign Conducted by U.S. Government Agencies."
The report is the third of its kind released by the National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center (CVERC) and the National Engineering Laboratory for Computer Virus Prevention Technology.
In May 2023, the United States and its "Five Eyes" allies released an advisory, claiming that a hacker they labeled "Volt Typhoon" had launched espionage activities targeting U.S. critical infrastructures and the organization was endorsed by the Chinese government.
In response, the CVERC has led an attribution analysis, revealing that the "Volt Typhoon" narrative was devised by the United States to protect its warrant-less global surveillance as well as the political and economic interests of stakeholders.
In its latest report, the CVERC disclosed more evidence of how U.S. government agencies fabricate the false narrative of "Volt Typhoon" and launch cyberattacks and "false flag" operations, as well as their tricks of accusing others to cover for their own guilt.
According to the report, the United States has long deployed cyber-war forces in the surrounding areas of "adversary countries" to conduct close-in reconnaissance and network penetration.
In order to satisfy those tactical needs, U.S. intelligence agencies have developed a customized stealth toolkit codenamed "Marble" to cover up their operations, mislead attribution analysis, and blame on other countries.
The "Marble" framework has a dirty feature -- the ability to insert strings in various languages, such as Chinese, Russian, Korean, Persian and Arabic, noted the report. This is clearly intended to mislead investigators and defame China, Russia, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, Iran and Arab countries, said the report, calling the United States a "cyber-chameleon."
According to the report, U.S. intelligence agencies have established a global internet surveillance network, generating a large amount of high-value intelligence. This has enabled the country to consistently stay ahead of the curve in diplomacy, military affairs, economics, and science and technology, according to the report.
Such an extensive surveillance program requires a substantial annual budget, and with the explosive growth of internet data, the demand for funding is bound to rise. This is one of the main reasons the U.S. government, in collaboration with its intelligence agencies, devised and promoted the "Volt Typhoon" operation, said the report.
Over the years, the U.S. government has kept politicizing cyberattack attribution in a way that serves its own interests, said the report. In contrast, China has consistently opposed the political interference in technical investigations into cybersecurity incidents.
The report called on cybersecurity firms and research institutes to focus on advancing threat prevention technologies and delivering quality products and services to users. This, it said, will contribute to the healthier development of the internet. ■
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