Official announcements from the US government or relevant regulatory bodies

White House Confirms Salt Typhoon Cyberespionage Targeting 9 Telecoms, Affecting Millions of Americans' Geolocation and Phone Calls

Dec 29, 2024, 12:37 AM

The White House has confirmed a major cyberespionage incident known as 'Salt Typhoon,' attributed to Chinese hackers, which has affected multiple U.S. telecom companies. The incident has resulted in the geolocation of millions of Americans and the recording of their phone calls. The victim count has increased to nine telecom companies, with AT&T and Verizon among those targeted. The White House has criticized the telecom sector for failing to implement basic cybersecurity measures, which contributed to the breach. In response, the administration has issued a threat-hunting and hardening guide to help telecoms secure their networks. AT&T has acknowledged the attack but stated that its networks are now clear of intrusion, noting that the hackers targeted a few individuals of foreign intelligence interest. The breach has raised concerns about national security and the potential manipulation of surveillance data by Chinese intelligence.