FBI Urge Telecom Companies to Enhance Security Following Chinese Hack

U.S. officials are pushing for heightened security measures in telecommunications companies after uncovering a significant Chinese hacking operation known as ‘Salt Typhoon.’

This campaign has given Chinese officials access to the private communications of numerous Americans, including sensitive political figures.

The hacking operation came to light earlier in the year when it was discovered that hackers had infiltrated the networks of several U.S. telecom companies. Their aim was to harvest metadata on an extensive scale, capturing details such as the timing and recipients of calls and texts. In more targeted instances, they managed to intercept actual call audio and text content from a select group, many of whom are involved in government or politics.

In response to these breaches, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have jointly issued recommendations for telecom firms to bolster their cybersecurity. These suggestions include enhancing encryption, centralizing security measures, and maintaining vigilant monitoring to prevent future intrusions. Jeff Greene, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity, emphasized that while they might temporarily disrupt these hackers, there’s no guarantee they won’t attempt to re-enter the networks.

This incident is part of a broader pattern of cyber activities linked to China, with previous cases including the disruption of a large-scale Chinese hacking operation involving over 200,000 devices in September and the targeting of phones belonging to political figures like Donald Trump and Kamala Harris in October.

Despite these allegations, China has consistently denied any involvement in cyber espionage against the United States. A spokesperson from the Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissed the claims as “disinformation” and reiterated China’s stance against all forms of cyber attacks.

The FBI has reached out to individuals whose communications were directly compromised, but the onus is on telecom companies to inform customers about broader data collection incidents. This cyber espionage campaign, identified as ‘Salt Typhoon,’ underscores the ongoing cyber threats between major global powers and the need for robust cybersecurity defenses.

The advisory and recommendations come in collaboration with other members of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance, including New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, highlighting the international implications and cooperative efforts to combat such threats.

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