Late last week, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) confirmed they were investigating “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by persons with ties to the People’s Republic of China.” At the same time, The New York Times reported that the targets included cell phones used by campaign staffers for Donald Trump, J.D. It was unclear whether he was able to access it.
Now, The New York Times has reported new details about the scale of the hack, which is reportedly linked to a Chinese group known as Salt Typhoon. In addition to diplomats and other government officials, close associates of President Joe Biden and members of President Trump’s family were also targeted, according to the Times. But even more concerning is what the hackers were able to access. From the report:
FBI agents believe the hackers may have been able to access not only call records but also unencrypted SMS text messages on the targeted devices, according to a person familiar with the investigation. There is. They said there was also evidence that audio communications were recorded, but it wasn’t immediately clear whether that meant voicemails or phone conversations.
CISA did not immediately respond to a request for comment.The agency said in a joint statement with the FBI last week that the investigation is “ongoing” and affected companies and other potential victims have been notified. said. At least 10 companies were affected, including Verizon and AT&T, according to the Washington Post. An AT&T spokesperson declined to comment. Verizon did not immediately respond to questions, but the company previously said that “highly sophisticated nation-state actors are reportedly targeting multiple U.S. telecommunications providers for intelligence gathering purposes. I am aware of that,” he told the Times.
