A huge breach of US telecommunications networks, allegedly orchestrated by the Chinese hacking group "Salt Typhoon," has compromised the sensitive data of millions of Americans, according to US officials.
The attack, described as the worst telecom hack in US history, targeted eight major telecom companies, stealing customer call records and other sensitive information.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) revealed that the hackers accessed vast amounts of metadata, including call and text details, and, in a smaller number of cases, retrieved audio files and text content.
Victims reportedly included senior US government officials, prominent political figures, and even telephones associated with former presidential and vice-presidential candidates.
Ongoing risks and government response
Despite efforts to mitigate the breach, officials have confirmed that the affected companies have not yet fully removed the hackers from their networks.
This leaves US telecommunications infrastructure vulnerable to further exploitation.
Federal authorities have urged telecom companies to enhance security measures, issuing detailed guidance to bolster network visibility, software protection and incident response protocols.
President Joe Biden has been briefed on the situation, and the administration says it has prioritised identifying the full extent of the breach.
A classified briefing was held for senators, outlining the severity of the incident and its implications for national security.
China denies involvement
Beijing has denied allegations it was involved, rejecting accusations of state-sponsored hacking.
The Chinese embassy in Washington criticised the US for its “baseless claims” and countered with allegations of American cyber activities targeting other nations.
Looking ahead
The fallout from the attack will be the subject of a Senate Commerce subcommittee hearing on December 11.
Lawmakers will examine the security vulnerabilities exposed by the breach and evaluate best practices for protecting critical communication networks from similar intrusions.
As the investigation continues, federal agencies are working closely with telecom providers to understand the full scale of the breach and mitigate further risks, though officials warn that vulnerabilities remain.