TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — The China-based Flax Typhoon hacker group is targeting dozens of government organization networks in Taiwan with the intention of espionage, Microsoft said Thursday (Aug. 24).

In a blog post, the software company described the group as a “nation-state actor” using low-profile methods to gain long-term access to Taiwanese networks. The ultimate aim was likely to conduct espionage activities, Microsoft said.

Flax Typhoon became active in 2021, and attacked information technology, manufacturing, and educational bodies in Taiwan. Microsoft said it had also noticed activities by the group in Southeast Asia, North America, and Africa.

Targeted or compromised organizations have been notified by the software provider in order to allow them to improve their security measures. The group mostly used legitimate methods and instruments to work its way into the networks.

Reports in May said organizations in Taiwan faced an average of more than 3,000 cyber attacks per week, the highest number in the world. The global average during the first quarter of 2023 amounted to 1,248 per week, a study by Check Point Research said.