New Delhi:
Chinese hackers have targeted the communications equipment of U.S. presidential candidates, including former President Donald Trump and vice presidential candidate J.D. Vance. This sophisticated hacking attempt was reportedly orchestrated by a Chinese cyber espionage group known as ‘Salt Typhoon’. According to the New York Times, the group may have infiltrated telecommunications networks and accessed sensitive data from major service providers, including Verizon.
According to reports, salt typhoon targets in the United States include not only the Trump campaign but also Democratic candidates such as Vice President Kamala Harris and running mate Tim Walz.
The attack on Verizon’s infrastructure is seen as part of a broader Chinese intelligence-gathering operation. Although it remains unclear whether the hackers were successful in extracting specific communications, US federal agencies are currently working to determine the nature and scope of the data breach. “There are reports that highly sophisticated nation-state actors are targeting multiple telecommunications providers in the United States for intelligence gathering purposes,” Verizon spokesperson Rich Young told AFP. I am aware of that,” he said.
Who is Salt Typhoon?
Salt Typhoon, the name given by Microsoft’s cybersecurity team, is a state-sponsored Chinese hacker group. Microsoft labels the Chinese hacker group with the term “typhoon,” while using the term “sandstorm” for Iran and “blizzard” for Russian cyberattackers. The term “salt” in this context indicates that the group specializes in counterintelligence, rather than traditional cybercrime such as corporate data theft or financial fraud.
The Salt Typhoon operation appears to be solely aimed at gathering intelligence on sensitive U.S. assets and institutions, especially during politically sensitive times. In this case, Salt Typhoon targeted specific phone numbers associated with top political figures and their staff, as well as individuals with deep ties to the government.
U.S. authorities are still in the early stages of assessing the full extent of the Salt Typhoon invasion. The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint statement acknowledging the severity of the threat and saying the U.S. government agency is “investigating unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by persons associated with the People’s Republic of China.” We confirmed that we are actively working on this. . ”
The FBI and CISA said in a statement that continued collaborative efforts are underway with private companies to strengthen cybersecurity defenses. “Once the FBI identifies specific malicious activity targeting this sector, the FBI and CISA will immediately notify affected companies, provide technical assistance, and assist other potential victims. “We quickly shared information to help,” authorities said.
A major concern is that Salt Typhoon may have captured important metadata. This can be as revealing from an intelligence perspective as the actual content. For example, metadata related to call patterns, duration, and frequency can reveal insights about relationships, strategic discussions, and even security vulnerabilities in communication channels. For Chinese intelligence agencies, this data could provide clues about the inner workings and key players in U.S. policy-making circles, especially in the run-up to the 2024 election.
