Chinese Hackers Target US Telecoms in Massive Metadata Theft, Officials Say

A sprawling cyber espionage campaign orchestrated by Chinese hackers has compromised the metadata of a vast number of Americans, Al Jazeera reports, citing US officials.

The operation, dubbed “Salt Typhoon,” targeted at least eight US telecommunications firms and dozens of others globally, impacting communications of senior government officials and political figures.

Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger confirmed the breach on Wednesday, emphasizing that while classified information was not compromised, the hackers gained access to the communications metadata of a significant number of individuals. A senior official, briefing senators in a closed-door session, stated that the Chinese government was behind the operation, focusing on a large number of Americans.

The stolen metadata, while not containing the content of calls, includes crucial details such as call recipients, duration, and location. This information, when collected en masse, reveals highly sensitive details about individuals’ lives, work, and personal relationships.

This marks the latest alleged Chinese intrusion into US data. In October, authorities confirmed a separate Chinese-linked hacking attempt targeting then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, running mate JD Vance, and associates of Vice President Kamala Harris. Previous allegations have implicated Chinese hackers in breaches at major US telecommunications providers including Verizon, AT&T, T-Mobile, and Lumen. While T-Mobile and Lumen have stated they believe no customer data was accessed, the extent of the Salt Typhoon breach remains under investigation.

The Chinese embassy in Washington has denied any involvement in the hacking after US federal authorities issued new cybersecurity guidance for telecom companies, focusing on areas such as encryption and network monitoring.

The Senate Commerce Subcommittee will hold a hearing on December 11th to delve further into the Salt Typhoon operation and the broader security threats facing communications networks.