What is Volt Typhoon, the alleged China-backed hacking group?

Its name is redolent of an exotic electrical storm. But is the freshly christened hacking group “Volt Typhoon” an imminent danger to American infrastructure, or just a new crop of digital spies playing an old game?

Here is what is known about the group and its potential threat:

‘Future crises’

Nearly every country in the world uses hackers to gather intelligence. Major powers like the United States and Russia have large stables of such groups – many of which have been given colourful nicknames by cybersecurity experts, like “Equation Group” or “Fancy Bear.”