The White House has confirmed a serious cybersecurity breach involving a ninth US telecommunications company. Chinese hackers, identified as the group “Salt Typhoon,” are behind the attack, which is part of a larger campaign targeting critical infrastructure across the United States and other nations.
Salt Typhoon, active since at least 2019, focuses on infiltrating government and telecom networks globally. The group operates under aliases like Earth Estries, FamousSparrow, Ghost Emperor, and UNC2286.
Weak cybersecurity in the private sector
Anne Neuberger, White House Deputy National Security Adviser, highlighted vulnerabilities in private sector cybersecurity during a recent press briefing.
“China is targeting critical infrastructure in the United States. Many private companies still fail to implement basic cybersecurity measures,” said Neuberger.
She urged stronger defences to protect these systems and called for accountability for China’s actions.
The latest breach came to light after the Biden administration released guidance to help organisations detect Chinese cyber activity. Neuberger assured the public that classified communications remained secure.
The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) continues efforts to mitigate the breaches. Officials recommend encrypted messaging platforms, such as Signal, to reduce the risk of interception. They also shared technical advice with telecom operators to strengthen their defences.
Despite these measures, a senior CISA official acknowledged that attackers might still linger in affected systems.
US tightens measures against Chinese threats
The Biden administration has escalated actions against entities linked to Chinese cyber threats. Reports from The New York Times reveal plans to ban the last operations of China Telecom in the US. Authorities are also investigating potential vulnerabilities in TP-Link routers, with possible restrictions looming next year.
Policymakers are proposing additional actions to fortify telecom networks. US Senator Ron Wyden announced plans for a bill to secure American communications. Jessica Rosenworcel, Chairwoman of the Federal Communications Commission, pledged to implement stronger infrastructure protections for telecom carriers.
These breaches show the growing risk to critical infrastructure from sophisticated hackers like Salt Typhoon. To prevent future attacks, businesses must adopt proactive cybersecurity measures and improve defences against evolving threats.
