Official U.S. government policy announcements or press releases

Ongoing Chinese Hack 'Salt Typhoon' Targets U.S. Telecoms, Described as 'Very Sophisticated'

Dec 19, 2024, 01:30 AM

U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has confirmed that a sweeping Chinese government hacking campaign, known as Salt Typhoon, targeting American telecommunications firms is ongoing. Described as a 'very sophisticated hack' and a 'very, very serious matter,' the campaign has compromised eight domestic telecom and internet service providers, as well as numerous others globally. The hack, which has been identified as one of the largest intelligence compromises in U.S. history, involves an intelligence operation conducted by China, according to the United States, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In response, the U.S. government has taken action, including the establishment of a multi-agency coordination group and the issuance of cybersecurity best practices to mitigate the breach.