{
  "id": 13013457,
  "title": "The FBI Has Seized Tools Used by Chinese Hackers for Cyber Operations, Officials Say",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/09/the-fbi-has-seized-tools-used-by-chinese-hackers-for-cyber-operations",
  "topic": "tech",
  "section": "Tech",
  "published": "2026-10-09T02:40:03.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "The Japan News by The Yomiuri Shimbun",
    "slug": "the-japan-news-by-the-yomiuri-shimbun",
    "url": "https://japannews.yomiuri.co.jp/news-services/ap/20261009-352860/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The FBI has seized scanning and phishing tools utilized by a hacker group believed to be linked to the Chinese government, officials revealed on Thursday. These tools, dubbed \"Microscan\" and \"FishHub,\" were employed to scan, phish, and infiltrate targets encompassing U.S. and foreign critical infrastructure, academia, and power sectors, officials disclosed.\n\nMicroscan was utilized to specifically target a U.S. power company, Japanese and Polish airports, Taiwanese universities, a multinational NGO, and Taiwanese critical infrastructure firms. Meanwhile, FishHub facilitated phishing endeavors, granting hackers remote access to compromised networks, according to the FBI.\n\nThe recent operation has rendered these tools ineffective, deemed a setback for the hacking campaign according to FBI and Justice Department officials. Assistant Director Jason Bilnoski emphasized their objective to strip threat actors of their capabilities, targeting their infrastructure, finances, and tools. He labeled the hacking operation as \"indiscriminate and reckless.\"\n\nThe tools were operated by a Chinese-based information security firm, Integrity Technology Group, which the FBI identifies as the true identity behind Flax Typhoon. The company holds contracts with the Chinese government, as per the FBI.\n\nEarlier in September 2024, the FBI reported disrupting a vast botnet associated with Flax Typhoon, which had infected over 200,000 consumer devices including cameras, video recorders, and routers, to enable cybercrimes such as stealing sensitive data. FBI San Diego Supervisory Special Agent Brett Lally stated that the department would remain vigilant for any potential reestablishment of the company's infrastructure in China.",
  "summary": "LOS ANGELES (AP) — The FBI has seized scanning and phishing tools used by a group of hackers that officials say is associated with the Chinese government and is believed responsible for disruptive cyber operations in the United States and abroad, including against the power industry, academia and critical infrastructure.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 4,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Winnipeg Free Press",
        "title": "The FBI has seized tools used by Chinese hackers for cyber operations, officials say",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/the-fbi-has-seized-tools-used-by-chinese-hackers-for-cyber-operations",
        "published": "2026-10-08T18:14:00.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "Fortune",
        "title": "FBI says it seized phishing tools used by Chinese hackers in ‘indiscriminate and reckless’ cyber operation",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/fbi-says-it-seized-phishing-tools-used-by-chinese-hackers-in",
        "published": "2026-10-08T19:48:03.000Z"
      },
      {
        "outlet": "The Register Science",
        "title": "US disrupts Chinese hacking tools as 7 govts warn of PRC spies stealing sensitive data worldwide",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/08/us-disrupts-chinese-hacking-tools-as-7-govts-warn-of-prc-spies",
        "published": "2026-10-08T21:59:00.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}