Chinese Hackers Breach AT&T, Verizon Networks In Major Wiretap Data Theft Putting US National Security At Risk: Report

In a cyberattack linked to the Chinese government, major U.S. broadband providers have reportedly been breached, potentially compromising systems used for court-authorized wiretapping requests.

What Happened: The hackers, known as Salt Typhoon, may have had access to these networks for months, posing a significant national security risk. The breach also extended to other sections of internet traffic, reported The Wall Street Journal, citing people familiar with the matter.

AT&T (NYSE:T), Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ), and Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) are among the companies whose networks were compromised in this intrusion.

The attack, considered a potentially catastrophic security breach, was primarily aimed at intelligence collection. The extent of the breach and the amount of data observed and exfiltrated by the hackers is still under investigation.

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The surveillance systems in question are used to comply with requests for domestic information in connection with criminal and national security investigations, the report noted.

Federal law mandates that telecommunications and broadband companies grant authorities access to intercept electronic data through court orders.

An individual with knowledge of the attack stated that the U.S. government views the breaches as highly significant and concerning from a historical perspective.

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Why It Matters: This cyberattack is the latest in a series of breaches linked to Chinese hackers. In April earlier this year, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned of China-linked hackers infiltrating U.S. critical infrastructure, including telecommunications, energy, and water sectors.

In May, the U.K. Ministry of Defence suffered a major data breach, with the sensitive details of active military personnel compromised. The Chinese state was suspected to be behind the cyberattack.

By August, concerns about the security of the upcoming elections rose after Donald Trump's presidential campaign fell victim to a cyberattack, with foreign sources hostile to the U.S. blamed for the intrusion.

The Salt Typhoon group, active since 2020, is a China-based nation-state hacking group focusing on espionage and data theft, particularly capturing network traffic. 

Microsoft Corporation (NASDAQ:MSFT) is currently investigating the Salt Typhoon intrusion along with other cybersecurity companies.

Image via Unsplash

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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of Benzinga Neuro and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.