China Hacked US Telecom Data, FBI and CISA Investigations Confirm
Chinese hackers breached various telecommunication service providers, the US federal investigation has confirmed. According to TechCrunch, the motive of the China hack on US telecom data attack was to access wiretap systems that law enforcement uses to surveil Americans.
Cyber Espionage Campaign
A joint statement released by the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) uncovered a widespread, highly significant cyber espionage campaign targeting US commercial telecommunications infrastructure.
According to the US telecom data hack investigation, actors affiliated to the People’s Republic of China compromised multiple communication networks across the country to facilitate the theft of call records data. The attacks were aimed at compromising private communication among a small group of people who are primarily involved in political activity or in government.
The hackers also wanted to copy specific information pertaining to US law enforcement requests based on court orders. Although the investigating agencies did not state which telecom providers had been affected by the breach, Verizon and AT&T are some of the big names on the list.
Confirmation of WSJ Report
The recent statement by the FBI and CISA confirms media reports about China hacking US telecom. Last month, the Wall Street Journal published a report stating that the US Court wiretap systems attack targeted communication infrastructure. The report indicated that Chinese hackers may have accessed US telecommunication network infrastructure for months before being detected.
The hackers had also breached other tranches of internet traffic. This allowed them to collect data on internet traffic from internet service providers. These providers consider businesses and Americans as their customers.
The Journal reported that the cyberattack was conducted by a hacking group based in China to gather intelligence. US investigators called the group ‘Salt Typhoon’.
Targeting US Elections
Prior to the September U.S. telecom hacking case, the FBI and the CISA were investigating possible breaches of various phone network providers by Chinese hackers. However, the agencies did say whether the hackers had accessed the systems or stolen any data.
“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) continue to render technical assistance, rapidly share information to assist other potential victims, and work to strengthen cyber defenses across the commercial communications sector. We encourage any organization that believes it might be a victim to engage its local FBI Field Office or CISA,” the agencies said.
Last month, Chinese hackers turned their attention to key players in the US elections. Media reports showed that hackers linked to the Chinese government had targeted phone communications of President Elect, Donald Trump and Vice President Elect JD Vance. The attacks were part of a bigger cyber espionage targeting high-level officials. The Harris-Walz campaign was also targeted.
US officials informed both campaigns about the hacking targets, but it was not clear whether the hackers had accessed any data. The CISA and FBI released a joint statement saying the US Government was investigating unauthorized access to the telecommunication infrastructure.
