Chinese Hackers Target Trump, Vance, and Other US Officials in Telecom Breach
The U.S. Federal Cybersecurity Council has launched an investigation into a major hacking attack by a Chinese group known as Salt Typhoon, targeting the nation’s telecommunications companies. Previously, it was reported that hackers attempted to intercept phone calls and text messages of high-ranking American officials, including former President Donald Trump and Vice-Presidential candidate J.D. Vance.
A representative from the Department of Homeland Security confirmed that the Cybersecurity Council would soon conduct a thorough analysis of the incident. The investigation is set to begin imminently, as the attack has already been classified as one of the most significant espionage operations in recent years.
The situation intensified when it was revealed that hackers infiltrated the networks of Verizon and other mobile operators, seeking to intercept calls and messages involving Trump and Vance. Staff from Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign team and Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer’s office were also targeted.
Federal investigators believe that Salt Typhoon gained access to systems of at least 10 telecommunications companies, including AT&T and Lumen. Preliminary assessments suggest that the group sought to monitor communications of approximately 40 high-level officials.
Precise details of what information was compromised and its criticality remain unknown, as some transmitted data was encrypted. Nonetheless, the U.S. administration has enacted emergency measures, including the launch of a coordination group to mitigate the breach’s aftermath.
The Cybersecurity Oversight Council, established by the Biden administration three years ago, was designed to assess major incidents and formulate preventive recommendations. Its most recent work highlighted security deficiencies within Microsoft, prompting the company to reevaluate its internal procedures.
Salt Typhoon is known for exploiting vulnerabilities in edge devices, such as routers, firewalls, and VPNs, which connect internal networks to the external internet. This investigation could draw heightened attention to cybersecurity within the telecommunications sector, which has already encountered numerous large-scale attacks in recent years.
Notably, China is not the only state directing its hacking efforts at Trump’s campaign. Iran has also been active in this domain, achieving considerable success. It was previously reported that Iranian hackers accessed Trump’s confidential communications, sharing them with journalists and thereby exacerbating the threat of sensitive data leakage.
