Official statements from U.S. government agencies or credible cybersecurity reports

White House Confirms Ninth U.S. Telecom Firm Hacked in Salt Typhoon Espionage Campaign, Says Anne Neuberger

Dec 27, 2024, 09:14 PM

The White House has confirmed that a ninth U.S. telecommunications firm was compromised in the widespread Chinese espionage campaign known as Salt Typhoon. This operation has enabled officials in Beijing to access private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans. Anne Neuberger, the deputy national security adviser for cyber and emerging technologies, disclosed that the hackers targeted the networks of telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and access the communications of a limited number of individuals, primarily those involved in government or political activities. The campaign, known as Salt Typhoon, has affected at least eight other telecom companies and dozens of nations. Neuberger emphasized that the Chinese hackers were careful in their techniques, making it challenging to determine the full extent of the impact, though a large number of affected individuals are believed to be in the Washington-Virginia area. In response to these breaches, the White House is urging the Federal Communications Commission to impose stricter cybersecurity regulations on the telecom industry.