The US telecom industry is facing a significant challenge in securing its networks against Chinese hackers, with at least eight carriers compromised in a recent operation. The Salt Typhoon intrusions have targeted telcos in dozens of countries over the past two years.
Legacy equipment and years of mergers and acquisitions are hindering the industry’s ability to patch every access point on its networks. Many systems are nearly 50 years old, designed for basic services rather than sensitive data.
Acquisitions can also introduce security risks, as companies may miss servers or devices when taking stock of their newly acquired equipment. Network engineers struggle to prioritize security alerts, and some carriers face physical tampering with copper lines.
The US communications industry is vulnerable due to its reliance on commercial telecom networks for government and law enforcement purposes. China has long used these networks to spy on governments in Southeast Asia and elsewhere.
While simple fixes like multifactor authentication can address some security issues, telcos would need to ensure every device, including legacy equipment, online servers, and employees’ computers, is patched to keep Chinese hackers out. T-Mobile appears to have avoided the compromise by operating a fully wireless network with zero global presence.
The FCC has proposed new annual certification requirements for telecom companies to demonstrate their cybersecurity risk management plans. However, telcos face an uncertain timeline for when they can expect total eviction of China-backed hackers from their networks.
Source: https://www.axios.com/2024/12/06/telecom-cybersecurity-china-hack-us