US government agencies held a classified briefing for all senators on China’s alleged efforts to burrow into American telecommunications companies and steal data about US calls. The FBI, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, and other agencies participated in the closed-door briefing.
Democrat Ron Wyden plans to draft legislation on the issue, while Senator Bob Casey expressed concern over the breach. Republican Senator Rick Scott is frustrated with the lack of information on how the hackers were not caught earlier.
A Senate Commerce subcommittee will hold a hearing on December 11 to discuss security threats and best practices for communications networks. The hearing will include Competitive Carriers Association CEO Tim Donovan.
US officials reported that a large number of Americans’ metadata has been stolen in a cyber espionage campaign targeting US telecommunications networks, including at least eight telecom firms in the country. Senators are calling for action to secure networks and prevent future breaches.
The hackers allegedly targeted major companies such as Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Lumen, stealing telephone audio intercepts and large tranches of call record data. However, some companies claim they have not been breached, including T-Mobile and Lumen.
Chinese officials describe the allegations as disinformation and say Beijing opposes cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms. The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) cannot predict when US telecom networks can be rid of hackers.
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/us/us-agencies-brief-senators-chinese-salt-typhoon-telecom-hacking-2024-12-04