Chinese hackers spied on thousands of companies after breaching IT giant ConnectWise

Microsoft has attributed a breach of IT management software company ConnectWise to a China-aligned hacker group that used artificial intelligence (AI) agents to rapidly hack into thousands of its customers. The breach, which was first disclosed in April 2022, allowed the hackers to spy on thousands of companies worldwide, compromising sensitive business data. The attackers used AI-powered tools to scan for vulnerabilities and automate the hacking process, making it difficult for the company to detect and respond to the breach. ConnectWise's software is used by thousands of managed service providers to manage IT infrastructure for their clients. The company has since taken steps to secure its systems and notify affected customers. Microsoft has not disclosed the specific number of companies affected by the breach, but has confirmed that the hackers used AI agents to scan for vulnerabilities in the ConnectWise software.