On December 5, 2024, U.S. officials reported that a significant cyber-espionage campaign has been attributed to a hacking group known as Salt Typhoon, which has targeted telecommunications providers across the globe, including at least eight in the United States.
Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger indicated that the hackers accessed communications of senior U.S. government officials and political figures, although classified communications remained secure. The campaign is said to involve a wide range of individuals and organizations, affecting numerous countries.
In a statement, a senior U.S. official highlighted that this incident is part of a broader pattern of Chinese cyber intrusions, noting previous attacks linked to China, including attempts to breach the communications of political candidates.
China's response came from its embassy in Washington, which denied the allegations and criticized the U.S. for engaging in its own cyberattacks. The embassy spokesperson emphasized the need for the U.S. to cease its actions against other nations.
The metadata stolen in these attacks does not include the actual content of communications but can provide detailed information about call patterns, potentially compromising personal privacy.
A Senate commerce subcommittee has scheduled a hearing for December 11 to further investigate the Salt Typhoon group and the associated security threats to communications networks.