US lawmakers ask for briefing from telecom giants amid cyber attack reports

This follows an October 5 report by the Wall Street Journal indicating that the attack penetrated the networks of several U.S. broadband providers, potentially compromising systems used for court-authorized wiretapping requests.

According to The Wall Street Journal report, hackers may have had prolonged access to critical network infrastructure, raising significant national security concerns.

A senior US intelligence official quoted in The Washington Post stated, “This enables the CCP to understand exactly who the U.S. government is interested in and to either undermine the government’s intelligence collection efforts or to feed the United States disinformation.”

The letter underscores that the hacking group believed to be behind this breach is Salt Typhoon, which is closely associated with China’s Ministry of State Security.

Earlier this year, the Select Committee addressed similar threats posed by another Chinese hacking unit, Volt Typhoon, which successfully compromised US critical infrastructure.

The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was established to address the challenges posed by the CCP to the United States and its allies. It investigates the CCP’s activities related to espionage, trade, technology theft, and human rights abuses while overseeing US government policies to ensure they align with national security interests.

The committee promotes transparency regarding the CCP’s influence across various sectors, recommends legislation to counter this influence, and engages with stakeholders through hearings and briefings.

In light of these developments, the committee is calling for urgent enhancements to the US’ cybersecurity strategies to counteract these unprecedented threats.

First Published: Oct 12 2024 | 1:40 PM IST