China launches ‘significant cyber’ attack ‘campaign’
FBI and the cybersecurity agency warn that suspected Chinese hack of US telecoms reveals a wider plot
A hack of the United States’ telecommunications systems linked to China that initially appeared to focus on the American presidential campaigns goes much deeper. According to investigators, it is likely part of a vast effort by Beijing to spy on the US.
The FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, warned earlier this week that the breach detected last month has now “revealed a broad and significant cyber espionage campaign.”
The two agencies said in a statement that their investigation has confirmed Chinese-linked hackers compromised the networks of multiple American telecom companies, gaining access to a potential treasure trove of information.
Specifically, they said the hackers would have been able to access customer call records and infiltrate the private communications of a select number of government officials and politicians.
Telecom systems
Additionally, the hackers appear to have been able to copy information requested by US law enforcement as a result of court orders. The FBI and CISA said:
We expect our understanding of these compromises to grow as the investigation continues. We encourage any organization that believes it might be a victim to engage its local FBI field office or CISA.
The two agencies first announced they were investigating a breach of the telecom systems in late October, less than two weeks before American voters cast their ballots in nationwide elections.
Word of the breach followed a report by The New York Times that Chinese hackers were thought to have broken into networks to target the campaign of President-elect Donald Trump, including phones used by him and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
The Trump campaign confirmed the breach in a statement to Voice of America.
Separately, a person familiar with the investigation told VOA that people affiliated with the campaign of Vice President Kamala Harris were also hacked.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the allegations at the time as disinformation, calling the US “the origin and the biggest perpetrator of cyberattacks.”
Foreign adversaries
The embassy has yet to respond to the latest FBI and CISA allegations.
American intelligence agencies warned for months that foreign adversaries were using a combination of cyberattacks and influence operations to meddle with the presidential election.
In addition, reports issued by private cybersecurity firms indicated a significant uptick in activity by actors linked to Russia, China, and Iran.
All three nations have repeatedly denied accusations of election meddling.
US agencies, led by CISA and the FBI, have long warned that China-linked hackers have burrowed into American computer systems and networks, in some cases hiding for years.
The China-linked group, known as Volt Typhoon, has been “positioning itself to launch destructive cyberattacks that would jeopardize the physical safety of Americans,” according to an advisory issued in February.
Hack iceberg
“What we’ve found to date is likely the tip of the iceberg,” CISA Director Jen Easterly said in a statement.
Jeff Seldin is Voice of America’s National Security Correspondent.
This edited article is republished courtesy of Voice of America. Read the original article here.
The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the official policy of China. Factor.