China hacked email used by staff of influential US House of Representatives committees as part of a large-scale cyber-espionage campaign known as "Salt Typhoon." This was reported by the Financial Times, writes UNN.
Details
According to people familiar with the attack, Chinese intelligence gained access to the email systems of some staff members of the House Committee on China, as well as aides on the foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services committees. The intrusion was discovered in December.
The publication notes that these attacks are another element of a long-running cyber campaign against American communication networks, conducted by China's Ministry of State Security (MSS) – the country's intelligence service. One informed source noted that it is currently unclear whether the MSS gained access to the email of the lawmakers themselves.
According to sources, the campaign has been ongoing for several years and allows for the interception of unencrypted calls, messages, and voicemails of almost all Americans, and sometimes even gaining access to email. "Salt Typhoon" has also been used to eavesdrop on conversations of high-ranking US officials.
American senators and officials acknowledge that US telecommunications networks are vulnerable due to outdated infrastructure and the high cost of protecting it. The campaign is part of broader Chinese cyber-espionage efforts against American infrastructure.
The US considered imposing sanctions against Chinese entities but abandoned the idea due to diplomatic considerations. The Chinese embassy in the US rejected the accusations, calling them baseless.
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