Microsoft now controls websites used by China-backed hackers

Microsoft has disrupted the activities of a China-based hacking group, gaining control of the malicious websites the group used to attack organizations in the US and 28 other countries around the world. The Microsoft Digital Crimes Unit (DCU) said in a statement that a federal court in Virginia granted its request to seize websites of the hacking group called 'Nickel', enabling the company to cut off Nickel's access to its victims and prevent the websites from being used to execute attacks. "We believe these attacks were largely being used for intelligence gathering from government agencies, think tanks, and human rights…