Microsoft has taken down websites that were used by Chinese-backed hackers to attack American companies.

Microsoft has taken control of a number of websites that were being used by a hacking group funded by the Chinese government to target organizations in 29 countries, including the United States. Microsoft said it observed "highly sophisticated" attacks that installed hard-to-detect malware that facilitates intrusion, surveillance, and data theft. Microsoft has been tracking Nickel since 2016 and previously described it as one of the "most active" hacking groups targeting government agencies. Nickel's attacks, according to Microsoft, exploited compromised third-party virtual private network (VPN) vendors and credentials obtained through spear-phishing efforts in some cases, and weaknesses in Microsoft's own Exchange…