A top US source warns that China’s access to US telecommunication networks may be a continuing compromise after claiming that a Chinese hacking outfit obtained a significant amount of Americans’ metadata.
“Salt Typhoon,” a Chinese hacker collective, has executed a cyberespionage campaign that has taken a “large number” of Americans’ metadata, a senior US official told reporters.
While declining to give any figures, Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger warned of “ongoing compromise” and the possible scope of China’s access to U.S. telecommunications networks on a call with reporters on Wednesday.
According to the official, President Joe Biden has been informed on the incursions multiple times, and the White House has made combating the Salt Typhoon hackers a top priority for the federal government.
When asked if it might include the records of every American mobile phone, the person responded, “We do not believe it’s every cell phone in the country, but we believe it’s potentially a large number of individuals that the Chinese government was focused on.”
According to the official, the hackers had compromised “at least” eight telecom and telecom infrastructure companies in the United States, among dozens of other businesses worldwide.
China’s reaction
Following the release of fresh guidelines by US federal authorities, the Chinese embassy in Washington on Tuesday denied the charges that it was behind the attack.
According to embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu, “the US needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cyber security to smear and slander China.”
According to earlier allegations made by US officials, the hackers obtained a significant amount of call record data and telephone audio intercepts from Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, Lumen, and other companies.
The who, what, when, and where of phone conversations are sometimes referred to as call record metadata. It can reveal who a call was made to, how long it lasted, and where it came from, but it excludes the content of the call.
Call record metadata, particularly when collected in large quantities, can provide incredibly detailed information about an individual’s life, career, and personal relationships even in the absence of the content.
According to sources and a notice seen by the Reuters news agency, the press conference took place just before US government agencies were scheduled to provide a separate, secret briefing for all senators about Salt Typhoon’s attempts to hack US telecommunications businesses.
The FBI, the National Security Council, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, and Jessica Rosenworcel, Chair of the Federal Communications Commission, were scheduled to participate in the closed-door briefing at 3 p.m. ET (2000 GMT), according to the officials.
