US authorities prevent Chinese hackers in US telecommunications networks

US authorities prevent Chinese hackers in US telecommunications networks

US authorities continue to strive to support large telecommunications providers to sell Hackers from their networks supported by the Chinese government. The exact time frame for this process has so far been unclear, as officials announced on Tuesday.

hacker attacks on telecommunications networks

"We are still trying to find out how deep the intruders are and where exactly they are. It is difficult to determine how we can remove it until we have a complete picture," said Jeff Greene, a high-ranking official from the US cyber security and infrastructure authority (CISA), to reporters.

scope of Chinese activities

"Most telecommunications providers continue to work to illuminate the full extent of the activities of the People's Republic of China (PRC)," added a high-ranking FBI officer. According to CNN, the alleged hackers have targeted telephone communication of high-ranking US politicians, including the elected President Donald Trump and the vice president JD Vance. These hacker activities have caused unrest in Washington and are already developing into one of the greatest national security challenges for the upcoming Trump administration.

progress in combating cyber threats

The telecommunications companies that work with the federal authorities longest have progressed the most advanced when it comes to passing out the hackers, explained FBI and CISA officials. Verizon and AT&T are among the large telecommunications providers who are targeted by the hackers.

Investigations and information theft

According to a high-ranking FBI official, the Bureau started the Chinese hacker activities at the end of spring or early summer of this year. The hackers stole “a large amount” of telephone records that show when, where, where and with whom people communicated, but not the content of the calls or messages. For a "limited number" of people in the US government or politics, the hackers were able to intercept call and text data.

illegal data queries

The hackers also copied "certain information that was subject to inquiries from the US criminal investigation authorities in the context of court decisions," said the FBI official. However, the portal within the telecommunications providers, which enables law enforcement authorities to carry out legally arranged listening measures, was not the main goal of the hacker.

comprehensive goals of the PRC

"The PRC started this campaign with much more extensive goals," emphasized the official. "National security and law enforcement queries were only one of several goals that these actors collected into the networks after entering." This story has been updated with additional information.