Singtel detected and ‘eradicated’ malware said to be from Chinese hacking group

SINGAPORE: Singtel said it had detected and “eradicated” malware that was purportedly from Chinese state-sponsored hackers.
It was responding to a Bloomberg report on Tuesday (Nov 5) that said Singtel was “breached” by a hacking group known as Volt Typhoon. 
Citing two people familiar with the matter, the report said the incident was discovered in June, and that it was part of a broader campaign against telecommunications companies and other critical infrastructure around the world. 
When asked about the Bloomberg report, Singtel told CNA on Tuesday: “Like any other large organisation and key infrastructure service provider around the world, we are constantly probed.
“Our protective and detective measures picked up the malware and eradicated it, and this was reported to the relevant authorities.”
The Cyber Security Agency of Singapore (CSA) and Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA) said they understood from Singtel that no service was affected and no data loss was reported.
“In this case, early detection and mitigation measures were in place,” the two government agencies said in a joint statement.
“Based on current investigations, the threat has been dealt with and the overall telecommunications infrastructure remains secure and unaffected.”
Singtel is the largest telecom operator in Singapore. Its subsidiary Optus is the second-largest operator in Australia.
US officials said in May that they had confronted the Chinese government about a sweeping cyber espionage campaign involving Volt Typhoon.
The operation targeted critical American infrastructure entities – ranging from telecommunication networks to transportation hubs – and could be used against the United States in a future geopolitical crisis, officials said.
China’s aims were to leverage the access it has gained into US organisations in the event of a war or conflict, according to American officials. The Chinese have denied these allegations. 
In October, the Wall Street Journal reported that Chinese hackers had accessed the networks of US broadband providers and accessed systems used by the federal government for wiretaps.
Singtel said on Tuesday that network resilience is critical to its business, adding that it works with security partners to monitor and address the threats it faces on a daily basis.
“We also regularly review and enhance our cybersecurity capabilities and posture to protect our critical assets from evolving threats,” the telco said.