A group of highly skilled Chinese government-linked hackers have recently infiltrated multiple US telecommunications firms in search of sensitive information related to national security. US investigators believe the hackers may have accessed wiretap warrant requests, but the full extent of the information obtained is still being determined. AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen are among the targeted broadband and internet providers. US officials are concerned about the potential national security implications of the hacking, which has been linked to China amid tensions between Washington and Beijing over cyber-espionage.
US telecom firms hold vast amounts of caller and user data as the backbone of internet and phone communications. Law enforcement agencies request access to specific portions of this data through warrants for criminal and national security investigations. Some of these investigations would be of interest to Beijing, given recent charges brought against Chinese government agents for harassing Chinese nationals and hacking American companies. AT&T and Lumen declined to comment, while Verizon did not respond to requests for comment. The Justice Department and FBI also declined to comment on the matter.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, denied allegations that Beijing-backed hackers breached US telecom firms, calling it a distortion of the facts and accusing the US of politicizing cybersecurity issues. US officials have briefed the House and Senate intelligence committees on the Chinese hacking campaign, with cybersecurity experts from Microsoft and Mandiant helping investigate the activity. The hackers involved, known as Salt Typhoon, have been praised for their skill, persistence, and ability to infiltrate computer networks. However, the Chinese government has other hacking teams at its disposal for espionage or network disruption, outnumbering FBI cyber personnel 50 to 1.
US officials have alleged that another Chinese government-backed hacking group is monitoring US transportation and communication networks, potentially disrupting any US response to a Chinese invasion of Taiwan. A separate Chinese group reportedly breached the unclassified email accounts of senior US diplomats prior to a high-profile visit by Secretary of State Antony Blinken to China. China has increasingly accused the US government of conducting cyberattacks against Chinese organizations in response to detailed US government allegations. Cybersecurity and hacking operations continue to be a point of contention in bilateral meetings between China and the US.
Chinese leader Xi Jinping assured US President Joe Biden during a meeting in California that China would not interfere in the 2024 presidential election, despite ongoing accusations and tensions related to cyber-espionage. The sophistication and scale of Chinese government-backed hacking operations remain a significant concern for US officials, with multiple teams capable of conducting espionage and disrupting computer networks. Ongoing investigations by US authorities and private cybersecurity experts aim to uncover the full extent of the Chinese hacking campaign targeting US telecommunications firms and other critical infrastructure.
