409/67 Monday, November 18, 2024
A hacker group connected to Chinese intelligence has infiltrated several telecommunications companies in the U.S. and abroad, including T-Mobile, as part of a months-long cyber-espionage operation aimed at gathering sensitive information from high-level individuals. While there is currently no clear evidence that customer data has been accessed, T-Mobile has confirmed that it is closely monitoring the situation.
The U.S. believes the operation was conducted by the Chinese group known as Salt Typhoon, marking one of the most severe attacks of its kind. Previous reports indicate that other major telecom companies, such as AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies, have also been affected. According to sources, the attackers exploited vulnerabilities in telecommunications infrastructure, including Cisco Systems routers, while leveraging AI and machine learning technologies to enhance their surveillance capabilities. These breaches have reportedly allowed hackers to access information such as call records, unencrypted text messages, and some communications of senior U.S. government officials. The attacks also extended to systems used by law enforcement for surveillance.
The FBI and CISA have confirmed that hackers linked to the Chinese government targeted telecommunications networks to steal data and intercept communications related to U.S. government and political figures. The Biden administration has acknowledged the severity of the incident, emphasizing that it is collaborating with allies and relevant agencies to investigate and respond to these attacks with urgency.
