Late last week, the FBI and Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) announced they were investigating “the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.” Concurrently, The New York Times reported that devices used by Donald Trump, JD Vance, and staff from Kamala Harris’ campaign were among those targeted, although the extent of the data accessed by the group remained unclear.
Recently, The New York Times disclosed new details about the breach, which is reportedly connected to a Chinese group known as “Salt Typhoon.” According to The Times, aides to President Joe Biden, members of Trump’s family, diplomats, and other government officials were also targeted. The breach’s potential impact is concerning, as FBI investigators suspect the hackers may have accessed unencrypted SMS text messages and call logs on the targeted devices. There is also evidence suggesting that audio communications were captured, although it is unclear whether this included voicemail or phone call conversations.
CISA did not immediately respond to a request for comment. However, the agency stated in a joint statement with the FBI last week that the investigation was ongoing and that the affected companies and other potential victims had been notified. According to The Washington Post, the breach affected at least 10 companies, including Verizon and AT&T. A spokesperson for AT&T declined to comment, while Verizon did not immediately respond to inquiries. However, Verizon previously informed The Times that they were aware of reports indicating that a highly sophisticated nation-state actor had targeted several U.S. telecommunications providers to gather intelligence.