A hacking group tied to the Chinese Communist Party has reportedly breached a U.S. government surveillance database, exposing millions of Americans’ call and text records. The attack has drawn comparisons to past cyberattacks but is being called the most severe telecom hack in U.S. history.
“Salt Typhoon,” the group identified as responsible, infiltrated a system used to archive law enforcement wiretap requests. While only 150 individuals were directly targeted, the exposed data could enable further surveillance on a much larger scale.
1/ A "Salt Typhoon" hack shows why backdoors are a gift to China. It's been widely reported that the breach of US telecom systems allowed Chinese hacker group to listen in on the conversations of national security officials and political figures incl. @realDonaldTrump @JDVance. pic.twitter.com/iHpNbbr6H4
— Project for Privacy & Surveillance Accountability (@savingprivacy) November 25, 2024
Officials call China's cyberattack 'worst telecom hack' in US history | CNN#espionage #surveillance #spying #politics #China #technology #telecommunications #hacking #politicshttps://t.co/wSCXiQzfcH via @YouTube
— 0ok (@0ok) November 25, 2024
Telecom giants AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon reported the breach in September, alerting federal authorities. The hackers exploited trust connections within telecom networks, gaining access to sensitive communications.
Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) emphasized the significance of the breach, describing it as part of China’s broader strategy to access telecom systems worldwide. He called the incident a wake-up call for strengthening cybersecurity defenses.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Agency are warning that unencrypted texts between Android and iPhones could pose a serious risk following the Salt Typhoon hack of several US telecommunication providers. https://t.co/XUw0HtDiwI pic.twitter.com/2dmCZenglt
— Fox News (@FoxNews) December 8, 2024
White House – The U.S. believes that an alleged sweeping Chinese cyber espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon targeted and recorded telephone calls of "very senior" American political figures
Anne Neuberger, US deputy national security adviser👇https://t.co/dgeGMHl1KC— Lilian Armstrong (@LilianArm99) December 8, 2024
Prominent individuals, including President-elect Donald Trump, Vice President-elect J.D. Vance, and Kamala Harris’ campaign team, were reportedly affected. U.S. officials have identified the perpetrators but have provided limited additional details.
Chinese officials deny responsibility, but U.S. agencies are moving swiftly to assess the damage. The breach highlights the vulnerabilities in America’s telecom systems and the need for immediate action to safeguard critical infrastructure.
