Several other countries have also been the target of an extensive Chinese hacking campaign, US authorities say.
4.12. 23:35•Updated 4.12. 23:40
The Chinese hacker group Salt Typhoon has stolen a large amount of telecommunications metadata data of US users, a US official source told reporters at a telephone press conference.
The source did not provide more detailed information about the number of users involved in the data breaches. According to the source, who spoke on condition of anonymity, China’s access to US telecommunications networks may have been extensive and may continue.
According to the source, the White House has put stopping the Salt Typhoon hackers at the top of the federal agenda, and President Joe Biden has been informed about the progress of the data breach investigation on several occasions.
White House Deputy National Security Advisor by Anne Neuberger according to data breaches, at least eight US telecommunications operators were targeted, and the Chinese hackers’ activities are said to have targeted a total of dozens of different countries.
Targeting members of the US administration
According to the news agency Reuters, the data breaches would have targeted the metadata of the communication, i.e. for example, where and to whom the call was made and the duration of the calls.
The AP reports that Neuberger said the hackers would have had access to an unknown number of US text messages and phone conversations.
According to Neuberger, the hackers gained access to the communications of several members of the US administration, but US officials do not believe that classified information has ended up in the hands of the hackers.
Reuters, AP