Sign up to save your podcasts
Or
Share Chinese Hackers Pwn US Cybersecurity Firm: Feds Scramble to Patch & Pray 🚨🇨🇳💻
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Share to email
Share to Facebook
Share to X
Or
Chinese Hackers Pwn US Cybersecurity Firm: Feds Scramble to Patch & Pray 🚨🇨🇳💻
This is your US-China CyberPulse: Defense Updates podcast.
Hey listeners, Ting here, and wow, what a week it's been in the cyber trenches between Washington and Beijing. Let me walk you through the five-alarm fire that just erupted.
So picture this: F5 Networks, one of America's biggest cybersecurity companies, just got absolutely wrecked by Chinese state-backed hackers. And I mean wrecked. These attackers were inside F5's network for over a year, stealing source code and discovering forty-four previously unknown vulnerabilities in their BIG-IP products. That's the stuff protecting federal networks and major corporations across America. Reuters confirmed that China's behind this, and honestly, it's like finding out the locksmith got robbed and all the master keys were stolen.
The response was swift and intense. CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala issued Emergency Directive ED 26-01, ordering every federal agency to patch their F5 systems by October 22nd. That's five days from now. Gottumukkala called it a catastrophic risk, and he's not wrong. When your security vendor gets compromised, everyone downstream is exposed.
But here's where it gets really interesting. Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana just sent a letter to Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins raising similar alarms about vulnerabilities in Cisco devices. CISA already told agencies to disconnect certain Cisco equipment amid active threats. Cassidy's asking the hard questions about how the world's largest network infrastructure provider is protecting against these same Chinese, Russian, and Iranian threat actors.
Meanwhile, Microsoft just dropped their annual Digital Threats Report, and the numbers are staggering. In July 2025 alone, they identified over two hundred instances of foreign adversaries using AI to create fake content online. That's double from last year and ten times higher than 2023. Amy Hogan-Burney, Microsoft's vice president for customer security and trust, says attackers are using AI to generate flawless phishing emails, clone voices of public officials, and automate data breaches. Beijing's foreign ministry, predictably, denied everything and called America the world's largest cyber aggressor.
The defense strategy is evolving fast. At GITEX Global 2025, UAE's Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti emphasized that people remain the first line of defense, while INTERPOL's Dr. Neal Jetton detailed coordinated global efforts against AI-enabled cybercrime. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem promised continued international cooperation, specifically targeting Chinese hacking groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon that have infiltrated American telecommunications networks.
The pattern is clear: China's mixing state espionage with cybercriminal tactics, embedding backdoors in everything from medical devices to industrial robots. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's latest report calls out the blurred lines between state-sponsored and criminal hackers, with Chinese group Kryptonite Panda leading the charge.
Bottom line? We're watching cyber warfare escalate in real-time, with AI supercharging the threat landscape. The next few weeks will be critical as agencies rush to patch systems before bad actors exploit the F5 breach further.
Thanks for tuning in listeners, and don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on this rapidly evolving situation. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Hey listeners, Ting here, and wow, what a week it's been in the cyber trenches between Washington and Beijing. Let me walk you through the five-alarm fire that just erupted.
So picture this: F5 Networks, one of America's biggest cybersecurity companies, just got absolutely wrecked by Chinese state-backed hackers. And I mean wrecked. These attackers were inside F5's network for over a year, stealing source code and discovering forty-four previously unknown vulnerabilities in their BIG-IP products. That's the stuff protecting federal networks and major corporations across America. Reuters confirmed that China's behind this, and honestly, it's like finding out the locksmith got robbed and all the master keys were stolen.
The response was swift and intense. CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala issued Emergency Directive ED 26-01, ordering every federal agency to patch their F5 systems by October 22nd. That's five days from now. Gottumukkala called it a catastrophic risk, and he's not wrong. When your security vendor gets compromised, everyone downstream is exposed.
But here's where it gets really interesting. Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana just sent a letter to Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins raising similar alarms about vulnerabilities in Cisco devices. CISA already told agencies to disconnect certain Cisco equipment amid active threats. Cassidy's asking the hard questions about how the world's largest network infrastructure provider is protecting against these same Chinese, Russian, and Iranian threat actors.
Meanwhile, Microsoft just dropped their annual Digital Threats Report, and the numbers are staggering. In July 2025 alone, they identified over two hundred instances of foreign adversaries using AI to create fake content online. That's double from last year and ten times higher than 2023. Amy Hogan-Burney, Microsoft's vice president for customer security and trust, says attackers are using AI to generate flawless phishing emails, clone voices of public officials, and automate data breaches. Beijing's foreign ministry, predictably, denied everything and called America the world's largest cyber aggressor.
The defense strategy is evolving fast. At GITEX Global 2025, UAE's Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti emphasized that people remain the first line of defense, while INTERPOL's Dr. Neal Jetton detailed coordinated global efforts against AI-enabled cybercrime. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem promised continued international cooperation, specifically targeting Chinese hacking groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon that have infiltrated American telecommunications networks.
The pattern is clear: China's mixing state espionage with cybercriminal tactics, embedding backdoors in everything from medical devices to industrial robots. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's latest report calls out the blurred lines between state-sponsored and criminal hackers, with Chinese group Kryptonite Panda leading the charge.
Bottom line? We're watching cyber warfare escalate in real-time, with AI supercharging the threat landscape. The next few weeks will be critical as agencies rush to patch systems before bad actors exploit the F5 breach further.
Thanks for tuning in listeners, and don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on this rapidly evolving situation. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
View all episodes
By Inception Point AiThis is your US-China CyberPulse: Defense Updates podcast.
Hey listeners, Ting here, and wow, what a week it's been in the cyber trenches between Washington and Beijing. Let me walk you through the five-alarm fire that just erupted.
So picture this: F5 Networks, one of America's biggest cybersecurity companies, just got absolutely wrecked by Chinese state-backed hackers. And I mean wrecked. These attackers were inside F5's network for over a year, stealing source code and discovering forty-four previously unknown vulnerabilities in their BIG-IP products. That's the stuff protecting federal networks and major corporations across America. Reuters confirmed that China's behind this, and honestly, it's like finding out the locksmith got robbed and all the master keys were stolen.
The response was swift and intense. CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala issued Emergency Directive ED 26-01, ordering every federal agency to patch their F5 systems by October 22nd. That's five days from now. Gottumukkala called it a catastrophic risk, and he's not wrong. When your security vendor gets compromised, everyone downstream is exposed.
But here's where it gets really interesting. Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana just sent a letter to Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins raising similar alarms about vulnerabilities in Cisco devices. CISA already told agencies to disconnect certain Cisco equipment amid active threats. Cassidy's asking the hard questions about how the world's largest network infrastructure provider is protecting against these same Chinese, Russian, and Iranian threat actors.
Meanwhile, Microsoft just dropped their annual Digital Threats Report, and the numbers are staggering. In July 2025 alone, they identified over two hundred instances of foreign adversaries using AI to create fake content online. That's double from last year and ten times higher than 2023. Amy Hogan-Burney, Microsoft's vice president for customer security and trust, says attackers are using AI to generate flawless phishing emails, clone voices of public officials, and automate data breaches. Beijing's foreign ministry, predictably, denied everything and called America the world's largest cyber aggressor.
The defense strategy is evolving fast. At GITEX Global 2025, UAE's Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti emphasized that people remain the first line of defense, while INTERPOL's Dr. Neal Jetton detailed coordinated global efforts against AI-enabled cybercrime. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem promised continued international cooperation, specifically targeting Chinese hacking groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon that have infiltrated American telecommunications networks.
The pattern is clear: China's mixing state espionage with cybercriminal tactics, embedding backdoors in everything from medical devices to industrial robots. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's latest report calls out the blurred lines between state-sponsored and criminal hackers, with Chinese group Kryptonite Panda leading the charge.
Bottom line? We're watching cyber warfare escalate in real-time, with AI supercharging the threat landscape. The next few weeks will be critical as agencies rush to patch systems before bad actors exploit the F5 breach further.
Thanks for tuning in listeners, and don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on this rapidly evolving situation. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI
Hey listeners, Ting here, and wow, what a week it's been in the cyber trenches between Washington and Beijing. Let me walk you through the five-alarm fire that just erupted.
So picture this: F5 Networks, one of America's biggest cybersecurity companies, just got absolutely wrecked by Chinese state-backed hackers. And I mean wrecked. These attackers were inside F5's network for over a year, stealing source code and discovering forty-four previously unknown vulnerabilities in their BIG-IP products. That's the stuff protecting federal networks and major corporations across America. Reuters confirmed that China's behind this, and honestly, it's like finding out the locksmith got robbed and all the master keys were stolen.
The response was swift and intense. CISA Acting Director Madhu Gottumukkala issued Emergency Directive ED 26-01, ordering every federal agency to patch their F5 systems by October 22nd. That's five days from now. Gottumukkala called it a catastrophic risk, and he's not wrong. When your security vendor gets compromised, everyone downstream is exposed.
But here's where it gets really interesting. Senator Bill Cassidy from Louisiana just sent a letter to Cisco CEO Chuck Robbins raising similar alarms about vulnerabilities in Cisco devices. CISA already told agencies to disconnect certain Cisco equipment amid active threats. Cassidy's asking the hard questions about how the world's largest network infrastructure provider is protecting against these same Chinese, Russian, and Iranian threat actors.
Meanwhile, Microsoft just dropped their annual Digital Threats Report, and the numbers are staggering. In July 2025 alone, they identified over two hundred instances of foreign adversaries using AI to create fake content online. That's double from last year and ten times higher than 2023. Amy Hogan-Burney, Microsoft's vice president for customer security and trust, says attackers are using AI to generate flawless phishing emails, clone voices of public officials, and automate data breaches. Beijing's foreign ministry, predictably, denied everything and called America the world's largest cyber aggressor.
The defense strategy is evolving fast. At GITEX Global 2025, UAE's Dr. Mohamed Al Kuwaiti emphasized that people remain the first line of defense, while INTERPOL's Dr. Neal Jetton detailed coordinated global efforts against AI-enabled cybercrime. DHS Secretary Kristi Noem promised continued international cooperation, specifically targeting Chinese hacking groups Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon that have infiltrated American telecommunications networks.
The pattern is clear: China's mixing state espionage with cybercriminal tactics, embedding backdoors in everything from medical devices to industrial robots. The Australian Cyber Security Centre's latest report calls out the blurred lines between state-sponsored and criminal hackers, with Chinese group Kryptonite Panda leading the charge.
Bottom line? We're watching cyber warfare escalate in real-time, with AI supercharging the threat landscape. The next few weeks will be critical as agencies rush to patch systems before bad actors exploit the F5 breach further.
Thanks for tuning in listeners, and don't forget to subscribe to stay updated on this rapidly evolving situation. This has been a quiet please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.
For more http://www.quietplease.ai
Get the best deals https://amzn.to/3ODvOta
This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI