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Salt Typhoon Hackers Breach More US Telecoms Including AT&T, Verizon, Charter, and Windstream

Jan 5, 2025, 06:27 PM

Chinese hackers, part of the Salt Typhoon operation, have compromised more U.S. telecommunications firms than previously known, according to a report by the Wall Street Journal. The breach extended beyond the initially reported victims, AT&T and Verizon, to include Charter Communications, Consolidated Communications, and Windstream. The hackers exploited unpatched network devices from Fortinet and compromised large network routers from Cisco Systems. Additionally, the intrusions reached networks of Lumen Technologies and T-Mobile. China has denied involvement in these cyberattacks and accused the U.S. of spreading disinformation. The scope of the hacking has raised concerns about the security of U.S. telecommunications networks, with questions about when assurances can be provided to the public. U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan warned executives in a secret White House meeting in the fall of 2023 that Chinese hackers could potentially shut down critical U.S. infrastructure at will. The affected companies have taken steps to secure their networks, with Lumen stating no customer data was accessed and T-Mobile halting recent infiltration attempts. Verizon confirmed that a small number of high-profile customers in government and politics were targeted, and those individuals were notified. Previous targets of Salt Typhoon reportedly included officials connected to Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump's presidential campaigns.