The US has added a ninth telecom company to its list of entities compromised by the Chinese-backed Salt Typhoon cyberespionage operation. The move comes after the US government shared guidance on how to detect and defend against the operation. A top White House official, Anne Neuberger, said that “a large number of Americans’ metadata was taken” as part of the campaign.
The Salt Typhoon campaign has targeted officials associated with former Democratic presidential candidate Kamala Harris and President-elect Donald Trump. Chinese officials have denied the allegations, describing them as disinformation. The US government has proposed rules requiring telecommunications carriers to secure their networks in light of the revelations.
Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel said that updated FCC rules could help limit the scope and impact of future intrusions. Neuberger added that the attackers gained access to networks, allowing them to geolocate millions of individuals and record phone calls at will.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/us-adds-9th-telcom-list-companies-hacked-by-chinese-backed-salt-typhoon-2024-12-27