Chinese Hackers Breach US Telecom Wiretapping Systems

Chinese hackers have infiltrated the networks of major American telecommunications providers, including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies, gaining access to systems used for court-authorized wiretapping in the United States. The primary goal of the attack was to obtain intelligence information.

The hackers penetrated infrastructure designed to process federal authorities’ requests for communication data under judicial warrants. This breach allowed them not only to access wiretapping systems but also other streams of internet traffic, including data from private and business conversations.

According to sources, the attack was carried out by a Chinese hacker group that US investigators have dubbed Salt Typhoon. US authorities believe the cybercriminals’ objective was intelligence gathering. This is not the first major operation linked to Chinese hackers: earlier this year, the US exposed a group called Flax Typhoon, which was part of a larger cyber-espionage campaign known as Volt Typhoon.

The intrusion was discovered recently, and the US government has already reached out to China with questions regarding these actions. However, Chinese officials have not provided any comments. Beijing consistently denies accusations of organizing cyberattacks against other countries, as alleged by the US government and other international bodies.

It remains unclear how long the hackers had access to these critical systems, but experts suggest their presence in the networks could have lasted for months. Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies have also declined to comment so far.