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Hackers affiliated with Beijing have compromised the networks of
“multiple” telecommunications companies to obtain customer call
records and gain access to the private communications of “a
limited number of individuals," according to a joint statement
issued by the FBI and the federal Cybersecurity and
Infrastructure Security Agency.
The FBI did not identify any of the individuals targeted by the
hackers but said most of them “are primarily involved in
government or political activity."
The hackers also sought to copy “certain information that was
subject to U.S. law enforcement requests pursuant to court
orders,” the FBI said, suggesting the hackers may have been
trying to compromise programs like those subject to the Foreign
Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA, which grants American
spy agencies sweeping powers to surveil the communications of
individuals suspected of being agents of a foreign power.”
The warning comes after several high-profile hacking incidents
that U.S. authorities have linked to China, part of what they
say is an effort to steal technological and government
information while also targeting vital infrastructure like the
electrical grid.
In September, the FBI announced that it had disrupted a vast
Chinese hacking operation known as Flax Typhoon that involved
the installation of malicious software on more than 200,000
consumer devices, including cameras, video recorders and home
and office routers. The devices were then used to create a
massive network of infected computers, or botnet, that could
then be used to carry out other cyber crimes.
Last month, officials said hackers linked to China targeted the
phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his
running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with
Democratic candidate Vice President Kamala Harris.
Authorities did not disclose how or if the operations announced
Wednesday are connected to the earlier campaigns.
In their statement Wednesday, the FBI and CISA said officials
are working with the telecommunication industry and hacking
victims to shore up defenses against continuing attempts at
cyberespionage.
“We expect our understanding of these compromises to grow as the
investigation continues,” the agencies wrote.
China has rejected accusations from U.S. officials that it
engages in cyberespionage directed against Americans. A message
left with China's embassy in Washington was not immediately
returned Wednesday.
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