US officials believe Chinese hackers breached at least eight US telecommunications providers in order to spy on top US political figures as part of a global hacking campaign, a White House official said Wednesday.
According to Anne Neuberger, deputy national security adviser, there is a risk of ongoing communication compromises.
The Biden administration has provided the most detailed public estimate yet of the scope of a hacking campaign that has roiled the US national security establishment and is poised to challenge the incoming Trump administration.
According to Neuberger, officials believe the hackers did not gain access to classified information.
Senior US intelligence officials gave senators a classified briefing on the Chinese hacking campaign on Wednesday, prompting Neuberger’s remarks.
CNN previously reported that the alleged Chinese hackers targeted the phone communications of senior US political figures, including President-elect Donald Trump and Vice President-elect JD Vance, as well as senior members of the Biden administration.
China has denied involvement.
According to officials on Tuesday, US officials are still working to help major telecom providers remove Chinese government-backed hackers from their networks, but they do not yet have a timeline for completion.
The telecom companies that have worked the longest with federal officials have made the most progress in removing the hackers, according to FBI and CISA officials. The hackers have targeted major telecom carriers such as Verizon and AT&T, CNN previously reported.
According to a senior FBI official, the agency initiated an investigation into Chinese hacking activity in late spring or early summer of this year, providing the most detailed update on the espionage campaign to date.
The hackers stole “a large amount” of bulk phone records that show where, when, and who people were communicating with, but not the contents of the calls or texts.
According to a senior FBI official. The hackers were able to intercept call and text data from a “limited number” of people in the US government or politics, according to the official.
The hackers “copied certain information that was subject to US law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders,” according to a senior FBI official.
However, the hackers did not primarily target the portal within telecom providers that allows law enforcement agencies to conduct court-ordered wiretaps, according to the official.
