The FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have issued a warning that the breach, initially discovered late last month, has since uncovered a wide-reaching and serious cyber espionage operation.
Investigators now believe that a cyberattack on US telecommunications systems, initially thought to be targeting American presidential campaigns, is much more extensive. It is likely part of a broader effort by China to conduct widespread surveillance on the United States, as reported by Voice of America.
In a statement, the two agencies confirmed that their investigation has revealed Chinese-affiliated hackers infiltrated the networks of several US telecommunications companies, potentially gaining access to a vast amount of sensitive data. Furthermore, the hackers appear to have successfully copied information that was requested by US law enforcement through court orders.
“We expect our understanding of these compromises to grow as the investigation continues. We encourage any organisation that believes it might be a victim to engage with its local FBI field office or CISA,” the FBI and CISA said.
The report further stated that the two agencies first revealed they were investigating a breach of US telecommunications systems in late October, just under two weeks before voters across the country went to the polls for the national elections.
The announcement of the breach came after a report by The New York Times, which suggested that Chinese hackers had infiltrated telecommunications networks to target the campaign of President-elect Donald Trump, including phones used by both Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance.
