US: FBI raids Chinese tech firm Pax Technology for allegedly facilitating cyberattacks

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Wednesday raided a prominent Chinese tech firm called Pax Technology for allegedly facilitating cyberattacks on various American and European targets. According to a report by Gizmodo, a swarm of FBI agents raided the Florida offices of Pax Technology -- a manufacturer of payment terminals, PIN pads, and point of sale hardware and software. Citing a report by WOKV news, the media report said that the FBI, Department of Homeland Security, and other agency officials were investigating the business's warehouse in Jacksonville. 

What does FBI say?

"The FBI Jacksonville Division, in partnership with Homeland Security Investigations, Customs and Border Protection, Department of Commerce, and Naval Criminal Investigative Services, and with the support of the Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office, is executing a court-authorized search at this location in furtherance of a federal investigation," Gizmodo quoted the FBI officials as saying. A statement accessed by Gizmodo said, "We are not aware of any physical threat to the surrounding community related to this search. The investigation remains active and ongoing and no additional information can be confirmed at this time."

China is a regular offender when it comes to Cyberattacks

Further, the report quoted security journalist Brian Krebs and said that the company's point-of-sale devices were probably being used as a storage space for malware as well as a command and control centre. It is worth mentioning this was not the first time when a Chinese firm has been under an investigative agency lens.

Earlier in January this year, US intelligence agencies said they believe the serious cyber compromise, revealed in December, had “likely originated in Russia and China." The cyber-attack which attempted to sabotage online privacy and information had affected fewer than ten US government agencies along with several other organisations outside government.

Amidst the tense year-long situation between India and China, Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat on April 7 said that China is ahead of India when it comes to technology and can launch cyberattacks that can disrupt India on a large scale. General Rawat said that India is in pursuit to create firewalls to deal with cyber-attacks and that the issue is being addressed in a "serious way". The CDS said each service has its own cyber agency to ensure that even if they come under cyber attack, the downtime and the effect of the cyber attack does not last long.

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