A Wall Street Journal report claims that Chinese hackers gained access to systems used for court-authorized wiretaps by breaking into the networks of major US telecommunications companies.
The breach, which targeted companies such as Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies, may have allowed the attackers to go unnoticed for months while gathering critical details regarding government requests for communications data.
The hackers, who are believed to be affiliated with a state-sponsored Chinese group, were able to breach the system that telecom firms use to handle wiretaps authorised by the government.
This breach may have given the perpetrators access to sensitive US internet traffic, allowing them to monitor communications under surveillance orders.
The attack was recently identified, and it is believed that the hackers may have had long-term access to these networks, gathering intelligence.
US investigators have dubbed the group responsible for the breach “Salt Typhoon” The incident is part of a larger pattern of cyber espionage actions attributed to Chinese hackers.
This article has been indexed from CySecurity News – Latest Information Security and Hacking Incidents
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