Chinese Hackers Persist in Major U.S. Telecom Networks, Officials Warn
U.S. government officials have disclosed that a China-backed hacking group, known as Salt Typhoon, continues to maintain a presence within the networks of major American telecommunications companies. The ongoing cyber intrusion, which first came to light in October, has impacted industry giants including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, while T-Mobile has largely managed to repel the attackers.
According to the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), these telecom behemoths are grappling with the challenge of expelling hackers from their systems. The agency reports that the unclear objectives of the attackers have complicated efforts to remove them entirely.
The persistent infiltration has granted hackers access to unencrypted real-time calls, text messages, and metadata, raising significant concerns about potential espionage activities. U.S. officials suspect that these breaches are part of a larger Chinese intelligence operation targeting communications of high-ranking U.S. officials and prominent figures, including presidential candidates.
Moreover, the hackers are believed to be accessing systems that store U.S. government surveillance requests, potentially compromising ongoing investigations by revealing Chinese individuals under surveillance.
In response to this ongoing threat, CISA and FBI officials are recommending the use of encrypted messaging applications to protect communications from interception. They emphasize encryption as a crucial tool for safeguarding both text and voice communications, highlighting apps like Signal and WhatsApp for their end-to-end encryption capabilities.
The U.S. government has issued guidance to affected telecom companies on strengthening their networks against such hacking attempts. Each company is advised to implement unique remediation strategies tailored to their specific network vulnerabilities.
As the situation continues to evolve, the persistent presence of Salt Typhoon in these critical networks underscores the sophisticated and long-term nature of this cyber infiltration, posing ongoing challenges for national security and data privacy.
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