Suspected Chinese Hackers Breach U.S. Telecom Companies: Only the Tip of the Iceberg

Five Eyes Alliance Issues Joint Cybersecurity Warning to Guard Against Chinese Cyberattacks.(People News)

[People News] U.S. government investigators indicate that hacking attacks linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeting U.S. telecom systems initially appeared to focus on the U.S. presidential election but are, in fact, more deeply rooted. These attacks are likely part of Beijing's extensive surveillance operations in the United States.

According to Voice of America, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a warning on Wednesday, November 13, stating that the breach, first detected late last month, has revealed "a widespread and significant cyber espionage campaign."

In a joint statement, the two agencies confirmed that hackers linked to the CCP infiltrated the networks of multiple U.S. telecom companies, gaining access to potentially valuable information.

Specifically, they reported that the hackers were able to access customer call records and penetrate private communications of a few government officials and political figures.

Additionally, the hackers appear to have been able to duplicate information that U.S. law enforcement agencies obtain through court orders.

"As the investigation continues, we expect to learn more about these breaches," the FBI and CISA stated.

"We encourage any organization that believes it may have been affected to contact their local FBI office or CISA," the two agencies added.

The agencies first announced their investigation into breaches of U.S. telecom systems in late October, less than two weeks before U.S. voters headed to the polls for national elections.

News of the breaches surfaced after The New York Times reported that CCP hackers had infiltrated telecom networks to target the campaign team of then-President-elect Donald Trump. This included phones used by Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance.

Trump's campaign team confirmed the breach in a statement to Voice of America. Additionally, a source familiar with the investigation told VOA that individuals connected to Vice President Kamala Harris's campaign team were also targeted.

For months, U.S. intelligence agencies have been warning that foreign adversaries are combining cyberattacks with influence campaigns to interfere with the November 5 presidential election.

Reports released by private cybersecurity firms also show a significant increase in activity by entities linked to Russia, China, and Iran.

Led by the FBI and CISA, U.S. agencies have consistently warned that CCP-linked hackers have infiltrated U.S. computer systems and networks, in some cases remaining undetected for years.

According to a February advisory report, a CCP-linked group known as Volt Typhoon has long been "prepared to launch disruptive cyberattacks that could threaten the safety of Americans."

"What we have uncovered so far may only be the tip of the iceberg," said CISA Director Jen Easterly in a statement at the time.