Sen. Marco Rubio, a member of the Senate Intelligence Committee, has warned that Chinese hacking of US telecom companies is a “very serious situation” that warrants close attention. The senator’s comments come after a federal investigation into a cyberattack linked to China-backed hackers, which targeted major US telecommunications companies and systems used for key government intelligence collection capabilities.
The investigation, launched in October, found that the hackers breached systems used by US intelligence to conduct wiretaps, and both government agencies and affected private companies are trying to determine what information was accessed. Rubio agrees with Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner’s assessment that the breach is “one of the biggest breaches potentially ever.”
While the breach does not appear to directly affect the integrity of the 2024 presidential election, Rubio notes that it poses a threat to national security going forward. He emphasizes that foreign efforts to interfere with US elections, including those by China, have been ongoing.
Microsoft has warned US voters about deepfake videos and other tactics being used to target political candidates in the 2024 elections. Rubio acknowledges the security threat posed by foreign adversaries but remains confident in the security of US elections due to strong systems across the country.
Source: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/marco-rubio-chinese-hacking-american-telecom-companies