Chinese hackers reportedly breached the networks of several US broadband providers, gaining access to systems used by the federal government for court-authorized wiretapping, according to the Wall Street Journal. The telecom companies affected include Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies. The intruders may have maintained access to the network infrastructure for months, potentially enabling them to cooperate with court-authorized US requests for communications data. The hackers also reportedly accessed other segments of internet traffic.
China's foreign ministry responded, stating they were unaware of the reported attack but accused the United States of creating a false narrative to frame China. The ministry emphasized that this approach undermines global efforts to address cybersecurity challenges through dialogue and cooperation. Beijing has consistently denied allegations of using hackers to infiltrate foreign computer systems.
Lumen Technologies declined to comment, while Verizon and AT&T did not immediately respond to inquiries. The Journal attributed the attack to a Chinese hacking group aiming to gather intelligence, which US investigators have labeled 'Salt Typhoon'. This incident follows earlier disruptions of major Chinese hacking groups, such as 'Flax Typhoon' and 'Volt Typhoon', with China asserting that Volt Typhoon was orchestrated by an international ransomware organization.
