Chinese-Linked Salt Typhoon Cyberespionage Operation Targets Major U.S. Telecom Companies

The Salt Typhoon cyberespionage operation, linked to China, targeted the systems of AT&T and Verizon. However, both companies have now secured their U.S. networks and are collaborating with law enforcement and government officials. This marks their first acknowledgment of the attacks.

An AT&T spokesperson stated that while only a few cases of compromised information were identified, the company is actively monitoring and remediating its networks to protect customer data. They continue to work with authorities to assess and mitigate the threat.

Verizon’s Chief Legal Officer reported that no threat actor activity has been detected in their network for some time. After considerable efforts to address the incident, Verizon has contained the activities associated with this particular attack. An independent cybersecurity firm has confirmed this containment.

On Friday, U.S. officials added a ninth unnamed telecom company to the list of entities compromised by the Salt Typhoon hackers. The Chinese hackers gained broad access to networks, enabling them to geolocate millions of individuals and record phone calls at will.

The U.S. Department of Defense and the Federal Communications Commission did not immediately respond to requests for comment. China’s foreign ministry could not be contacted for comment. Chinese officials have previously described the allegations as disinformation, stating that Beijing firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms.

Officials have alleged that hackers targeted Verizon, AT&T, Lumen, and other telecom companies, stealing telephone audio intercepts and a large amount of call record data. In response, the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency urged senior government and political figures to use end-to-end encrypted apps for mobile communications.

Targets of Salt Typhoon reportedly included officials connected to the presidential campaigns of Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump. During a hearing on December 11, Sen. Ben Ray Lujan called Salt Typhoon the “largest telecommunications hack in our nation’s history,” while Sen. Ted Cruz emphasized the need to address vulnerabilities in communications networks.

There is growing concern about the extent of Chinese hacking into U.S. telecommunications networks and questions about when companies and the government will be able to assure Americans about the issue.