A ninth US telecoms business has been proven to have been hacked as part of a massive Chinese espionage program that provided authorities in Beijing access to an unknown number of Americans’ private texts and phone conversations, according to a top White House official on Friday.
Officials from the Biden administration revealed last month that the Chinese hacking blitz known as Salt Typhoon had hit at least eight telecoms corporations and dozens of nations.
However, deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger told reporters Friday that a ninth victim had been located after the administration issued guidelines to corporations on how to search for Chinese perpetrators in their networks.
Neuberger’s update is the most recent step in a huge hacking operation that has frightened national security officials, highlighted cybersecurity flaws in the private sector, and shown China’s hacking skill.
The hackers broke into telecommunications businesses’ networks in order to steal consumer call data and access the private communications of a small number of people, according to officials. Though the FBI has not publicly identified any of the victims, officials think that high US government officials and major political leaders were among those whose communications were compromised.
Neuberger said Friday that officials did not yet know how many Americans were hit by the Salt Typhoon, in part because the Chinese were cautious with their approaches, but that a “large number” were in the Washington-Virginia area.
Officials believe the hackers’ purpose was to determine who owned the phones and, if they were “government targets of interest,” eavesdrop on their texts and phone calls, she added.
The FBI stated that the majority of those targeted by the hackers are “primarily involved in government or political activity.”
According to Neuberger, the episode underlined the need for needed cybersecurity measures in the telecommunications business, which the Federal Communications Commission will address at a hearing next month. In addition, she stated that the government was considering additional actions in the coming weeks in response to the hacking campaign, but she did not specify what they were.
“We know that voluntary cyber security practices are inadequate to protect against China, Russia and Iran hacking of our critical infrastructure,” according to her.
The Chinese government has denied responsibility for the breach.
