Continued U.S. government investigation into attempted hacking of U.S. communications infrastructure by Chinese-backed attackers reveals “extensive and significant” espionage efforts targeting government and political actors. The FBI announced Wednesday.
FBI, in a joint statement The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said the hackers disrupted multiple telecommunications companies and obtained customer call log data, targeting some “primarily involved in government and political activities.” It is said that his personal communications were compromised.
The FBI has not released the names of the individuals targeted in the alleged hacking.
The campaign also allegedly attempted to copy “certain information that was the subject of a court-ordered U.S. law enforcement request” in order to violate programs under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act. Intelligence.
A spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington criticized the FBI's findings, calling them “a smear attack against China that has no basis in fact.”
“In recent years, the United States has compiled and disseminated all kinds of disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threat. China firmly opposes this. China's position is consistent and clear. We firmly oppose and fight against cyber attacks and cyber theft,'' spokesperson Liu Pengyu said in a statement.
“Cyberspace is characterized by strong virtuality, difficulty in tracking sources, and diversity of attackers, making tracking cyberattacks a complex technical problem,” he added. . “We hope that all parties involved will behave professionally and responsibly in characterizing cyber incidents and drawing conclusions based on sufficient evidence, rather than baseless speculation and accusations. ”
This update comes just weeks after the bureau first announced an investigation into “unauthorized access” to telecommunications by actors with ties to China. Immediately after the announcement, reports abounded that the cell phones of President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect J.D. Vance may have been targeted and compromised, but the government has not confirmed this.
Other political figures were also reportedly targeted, including some Democrats who were at the Capitol and possible members of Vice President Harris' presidential campaign staff just weeks before Election Day. It is said that it became.
In the months leading up to the election, concerns were repeatedly raised about the possibility that China or other countries might try to interfere in the 2024 vote count.
Microsoft Threat Analysis Report, Released within 2 weeks Chinese influence operations revealed in election targeted at a small number Number of Republican candidates and members of Congress who “advocate anti-China policies.”
This included Sen. Marco Rubio (R-Florida), who was subsequently nominated to be Secretary of State in the Trump administration.
While disinformation campaigns have been around to some degree for years, advances in technology, particularly artificial intelligence (AI), have made it easier for false content to spread rapidly online.
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill have repeatedly sounded the alarm about these threats, with some urging big tech companies to crack down on misinformation often spread on social media platforms with the help of AI. calling out publicly.
