CNN
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The FBI has notified one of President-elect Donald Trump’s chief lawyers that his cellphone has been tapped by Chinese hackers, three sources familiar with the matter told CNN. It’s been ongoing for months.
The FBI last week told attorney Todd Blanche that hackers were able to obtain some audio recordings and text messages from his cellphone, none of which related to Trump, one of the people said. I was informed that this was not the case. The FBI provided Branch, who had to start using a different number after the breach, with information obtained by the hackers, including communications with her family, sources said.
CNN has reached out to the FBI for comment.
Branch is the second of two Trump lawyers believed to be targeted by foreign hackers. CNN reported in August that attorney Lindsey Harrigan was targeted as part of a separate Iranian hacking operation, but the timing of the attempt and the extent of the compromise to her devices and accounts remain unclear.
Chinese hackers have also targeted other top figures in Trump’s inner circle, including Trump himself and Vice President-elect Sen. J.D. Vance. Other targets included President Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and his son Eric Trump, members of the Harris-Waltz campaign and members of the Biden administration, CNN previously reported.
This sophisticated hacking operation has spooked national security officials, as Chinese hackers have deep access to call logs and phone records of prominent Americans.
U.S. officials investigating the hacking campaign, which breached U.S. telecommunications companies AT&T, Lumen and Verizon, say it is one of the most concerning national security hacks in recent memory. I think there is.
The scope of the hack is “much more serious than the public knows,” and authorities are still scrutinizing the breach to determine the impact, another person familiar with the intelligence community previously told CNN. told.
The Chinese government denied US claims that China was behind the hacking.
Chinese spies forced U.S. government officials to take unusual security measures. For example, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau instructs its employees to use Microsoft Teams and Cisco WebEx only when performing work-related tasks that involve non-public information, a CFPB spokesperson told CNN on Thursday. spoke.
There is no evidence that the CFPB was specifically targeted by hackers, the spokesperson said. The Wall Street Journal first reported on the CFPB security protocols.
