US Accuses Chinese Hackers Of Spying On Presidential Campaigns
WASHINGTON, DC (ANI) – Chinese hackers have been accused of breaching U.S. telecommunications systems and engaging in espionage on American presidential campaigns, with U.S. officials cautioning that it may take years to fully address the infiltration, according to VOA News.
The U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the FBI issued a joint alert on Tuesday urging telecommunications companies and their customers to strengthen security measures, warning that the breach could be more extensive than initially assessed.
Jeff Greene, CISA’s executive assistant director for cybersecurity, acknowledged the difficulty of determining the full extent of the breach. Speaking to reporters, he stated, “We cannot say with certainty that the adversary has been evicted because we still don’t know the scope of what they’re doing.” He emphasized ongoing efforts to uncover the hackers’ activities.
An unnamed senior FBI official echoed Greene’s concerns, describing the investigation as a years-long endeavor. The official warned that as investigators uncover more details, the hackers are adapting their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs). “They may go dormant for a while to lower their profile,” the official noted.
The breach, first disclosed in October, has been attributed to Salt Typhoon, a Chinese-linked cyber group believed to have targeted communications networks to spy on the presidential campaigns of President-elect Donald Trump and Democratic challenger Vice President Kamala Harris. The hackers’ evolving tactics have complicated efforts to assess the full impact of their operations.
China has denied the allegations, with Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington, dismissing them as disinformation. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cybersecurity to smear and slander China,” Liu stated in an email to VOA News.
Despite China’s denials, U.S. officials believe the breach is part of a larger Chinese government initiative aimed at gathering intelligence on adversaries worldwide. The hackers reportedly focused on telecommunications infrastructure, internet service providers, and data related to individual communications, call records, and U.S. law enforcement requests under court orders.
The FBI official described the hackers’ methods as highly specific and aligned with broader goals of cyber espionage to support China’s strategic objectives.
While the exact number of affected telecommunication companies and countries remains undisclosed, CISA and the FBI underscored the breach’s far-reaching implications, emphasizing the need for robust countermeasures and heightened vigilance.
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