FBI confirms Chinese government-linked hackers breached US government networks

The FBI and CISA have posted a joint statement revealing that numerous commercial telecommunications organizations have been breached by a hacking group associated with the Chinese government.

2

The joint statement posted to the official FBI website states the US government is continuing its investigation into the People's Republic of China (PRC) targeting of commercial telecommunications infrastructure across the US, and that it can confirm the existence of a "broad and significant cyber espionage campaign." More specifically, the joint statement reads that US officials have identified PRC-affiliated actors that have "compromised networks at multiple telecommunications companies" to steal customer call data, information, and other data.

Notably, the group behind these attacks on US infrastructure is reportedly Salt Typhoon, which has gained access to customer call records data along with private communications of individuals within the US government. Furthermore, US officials can also confirm the group gained access to a US wiretap system, which is used by authorities to submit requests for court orders. It was only in September 2024 that Salt Typhoon targeted a selection of US internet service providers in what is believed to be a reconnaissance attack to gather information on potential targets for future heavier attacks.

• Read more: Phison unveils a world's first PCIe Gen 5 SSD designed to disrupt the data deluge
• Read more: China unveils high-speed quadruped robot capable of chasing people down
• Read more: US pharmacy network loses 1.4 terabytes of data to boasting hackers