Chinese hackers from Salt Typhoon have successfully penetrated U.S. telecommunications networks to spy on top U.S. national security officials. According to the FBI-led investigation, a total of eight U.S. telecommunications companies, including Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile, were compromised. Federal authorities have admitted that the cybercriminals may still be hiding within the carriers’ networks.
Dozens of countries hacked “over the past one to two years”
In fact, Salt Typhoon’s spying operation is not limited to U.S. networks. At a press briefing on Wednesday, November 4, Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser to President Joe Biden, revealed that the gang has hacked telecommunications operators in "dozens" of countries around the world. These intrusions have been taking place for "some time" - "probably one to two years."
The hackers are believed to have "compromised private companies by exploiting vulnerabilities in their systems, as part of a global campaign led by China," the White House added. Washington remains convinced that the hackers are working directly with Beijing's intelligence services.
Unsurprisingly, China firmly denies being behind Salt Typhoon's activities. Faced with this persistent threat, the FBI recommends that American citizens use end-to-end encrypted messaging services to ensure that their communications are not intercepted by Chinese cybercriminals. WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, iMessage and Signal should be preferred to traditional SMS. This measure is aimed primarily at government employees.
Source: WSJ
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