Key takeaways
- The communications of JD Vance, Donald Trump, and the Kamala Harris campaign staff were allegedly targeted by Chinese state-sponsored hackers.
- Major U.S. telecom networks, including those operated by AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies, were impacted by the widespread cyberattack.
- The campaign may be part of an attempt to collect critical national security information, according to authorities.
Phone conversations involving former President Donald Trump, Vice President JD Vance, and Kamala Harris’s campaign team have apparently been infiltrated by Chinese hackers purportedly supported by the government.
According to sources, the hackers also targeted contacts connected to high-ranking Biden administration officials.
Foreign players place a high value on these kinds of targets for intelligence purposes, although it is unclear what precise data may have been acquired.
The scope of the attack and the response of the US government
The FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) jointly released a statement confirming that they are looking into the unauthorized access, swiftly notifying the impacted telecom companies, and offering technical assistance.
U.S. intelligence personnel briefed congressional committees on the attack once it was discovered.
Mark Warner, the chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, called the breach “serious,” and daily surveillance is being conducted.
The Chinese hacker collective, known in cybersecurity circles as Salt Typhoon, is believed to have gained access to several telecommunications networks in recent months.
Investigators think the attackers might be looking for sensitive national security information, like Justice Department wiretap requests.
A different group of cybercriminals recently targeted major U.S. telecommunications providers, such as AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies, which serve millions of people nationwide, before attacking political figures.
The hackers showed off their sophisticated methods by breaking into systems that could transmit large amounts of network data and internet traffic, especially in companies that are in charge of vital infrastructure.
Trump’s campaign linked the hack to other alleged foreign cyberattacks after the event, implying that countries like China, Iran, and Russia made concerted attempts to compromise American political and electoral systems.
Growing Concerns about Cybersecurity
The purported intrusion highlights the rising cybersecurity threats from foreign entities attempting to get access to American infrastructure and political processes.
As cybersecurity risks continue to rise, national security authorities are becoming increasingly concerned about the possibility that Chinese hackers are conducting similar clandestine social media influence campaigns during U.S. political campaigns.
