US Senator Mark Warner has called the Salt Typhoon hack, conducted by a group that has been linked to Chinese intelligence, “the most serious telecoms hack in our history.” In a recent interview with the NY Times, Warner also said that hackers were able to listen in on telephone calls and access text messages, emphasizing that “every major provider has been broken into.”
This follows hard on the FBI releasing a joint statement with the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), in which they announced that “China-affiliated actors have compromised networks at multiple telecommunications companies.”
Salt Typhoon is a Chinese government-backed threat group known to be engaged in cyberespionage campaigns against the US government and US telecommunication firms. The name “Typhoon” was originally coined by Microsoft and is assigned to several threat groups sponsored by the People’s Republic of China (PRC). In a recent “In Focus” document, the US Intelligence Community states that “the PRC is the most active and persistent cyber threat to US institutions.”
US officials have discovered that the hackers were able to compromise telecommunication systems by taking advantage of security gaps in outdated equipment. The hackers specifically targeted individuals involved in government activity and were able to listen in on conversations between “a number of well-connected Americans,” including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance. Hackers were able to access messages and calls administered through regular networks but were unable to obtain encrypted messages, such as those from WhatsApp and Signal.
Senator Warner said that he was “stunned by the scope and depth of the breach,” adding that investigations are still ongoing. Warner is also convinced that this hack was not contained to Washington, emphasizing that it is “crucial” for the public to understand that this was far broader than government officials’ current knowledge.
“We have to let the American people know this,” states Warner. “Folks need to know.”
Florida Telecommunications worker accused of being a Chinese Spy
This intrusion, although the most serious, is far from being the first of its kind.
In other news, former telecommunications worker Ping Li was recently sentenced to four years of prison for conspiring to act as an agent for the PRC. Li reportedly spied on his employers in order to pass along information to the PRC’s Ministry of State Security (MSS). Li was also ordered to pay a $250,000 fine.
According to court documents, the MSS would often use “cooperative contacts” outside the PRC in order to obtain information seen as beneficial to their intelligence goals. From 2012 to 2022, Li allegedly sent a variety of information to the MSS, including hacking events targeting US companies, information on Chinese dissidents, and information regarding Li’s previous workplaces.
