What was Operation Cloud Hopper?

• A. A Chinese cyber espionage campaign targeting IT service providers.
• B. A U.S. cyber defense exercise.
• C. A Russian disinformation operation.
• D. A Japanese space surveillance program.

Answer: (A)

Operation Cloud Hopper was a Chinese state-sponsored cyber espionage operation that targeted IT service providers to reach their clients’ networks. Security researchers attributed the campaign to the APT10 group, showing how compromising MSPs and their remote-management tools allowed attackers to pivot into hundreds of customer environments across multiple industries and countries. The attackers employed phishing, credential theft, malware, and supply-chain techniques to steal sensitive data and intellectual property from the MSPs’ clients, making the operation one of the larger and more consequential campaigns focused on gaining broad access through trusted service providers. This is why it fits the description of a Chinese cyber espionage campaign aimed at IT service providers. By contrast, the other options describe activities that do not match the operation’s nature—it's not a U.S. cyber defense exercise, a Russian disinformation effort, or a Japanese space surveillance program.