Official U.S. government policy announcements

Chinese 'Salt Typhoon' Hackers Compromise U.S. Telecoms, Affecting Millions

Dec 7, 2024, 08:25 AM

A Chinese hacking group known as 'Salt Typhoon' has compromised the networks of major U.S. telecommunications firms including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Lumen Technologies, affecting over 1 million customers. The FBI and CISA have recommended that all communications be end-to-end encrypted due to the severity of the breach, with no clear timeline for when these networks can be considered secure again. The White House, through cyber advisor Anne Neuberger, has revealed that this espionage campaign has been ongoing for years, impacting dozens of countries. The hackers accessed private text messages and phone conversations, including those of 'very senior' U.S. political figures, raising significant national security and privacy concerns. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is now compelled to enforce stricter security measures on telecom networks in response to these attacks.