Chinese hackers reportedly gained access to U.S. broadband networks, including systems used for court-authorized wiretaps, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The breach, which targeted telecom giants Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies, is believed to have exposed sensitive communications data over several months.
Hackers infiltrated infrastructure used by these companies to comply with government requests for communications data, the report stated, and accessed other streams of internet traffic. U.S. investigators have attributed the attack to a Chinese hacking group, calling it “Salt Typhoon.” This intrusion follows earlier incidents involving another Chinese group, dubbed “Flax Typhoon,” which was disrupted earlier this year after a long-running cyber espionage campaign.
In response, China’s foreign ministry denied involvement, dismissing the report as part of a “false narrative” aimed at framing Beijing. The ministry added that such accusations undermine global efforts to address cyber security challenges through cooperation and dialogue.
The breached telecom companies have yet to comment on the incident. Beijing has previously rejected similar claims of state-backed cyber-attacks, and in this case, pointed to its own findings, claiming that the “Volt Typhoon” campaign, mentioned in the report, was linked to an international ransom ware group.
The revelations highlight escalating concerns about the vulnerability of critical infrastructure to cyber-attacks, as well as ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China over cyber security issues.
