Get Premium Data for Cyber Monday: Up to 55% Off InvestingProCLAIM SALE

'Large number' of Americans' metadata stolen by Chinese hackers, senior official says

Published 12/04/2024, 04:24 PM
Updated 12/04/2024, 06:35 PM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo
T
-
LUMN
-
VZ
-

By Raphael Satter

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -A large number of Americans' metadata has been stolen in the sweeping cyberespionage campaign carried out by a Chinese hacking group dubbed "Salt Typhoon," a senior U.S. official told journalists on Wednesday.

The official declined to provide specific figures but noted that China's access to America's telecommunications infrastructure was broad and that the hacking was still ongoing.

"We believe a large number of Americans' metadata was taken," said the official, who spoke to reporters on condition that their name be withheld. Pushed on whether that might include every American cell phone's records, the official said: "We do not believe it's every cell phone in the country, but we believe it's potentially a large number of individuals that the Chinese government was focused on."

Dozens of companies across the world had been hit by the hackers, the official said, including "at least" eight telecommunications and telecom infrastructure firms in the United States.

U.S. officials have previously alleged the hackers targeted Verizon (NYSE:VZ), AT&T (NYSE:T), T-Mobile, Lumen and others. T-Mobile has said no customer data was compromised in its case and Lumen said there is no evidence customer data was accessed on its network but, in at least some other cases, the hackers are alleged to have stolen telephone audio intercepts along with a large tranche of call record data.

Call record metadata is sometimes described as the who, what, when, and where of phone calls. It doesn’t include the content of a call but can include who a call was placed to, how long it lasted, and where it was made from. Even without the content, call record metadata — especially when captured in bulk — can reveal extraordinarily granular details about a person's life, work, and intimate relationships.

The official said the White House had made tackling the Salt Typhoon hackers a priority for the federal government and that President Joe Biden had been briefed several times on the intrusions.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A man holds a laptop computer as cyber code is projected on him in this illustration picture taken on May 13, 2017. REUTERS/Kacper Pempel/Illustration/File Photo

The press call occurred as U.S. government agencies held a separate, classified briefing for all senators on Salt Typhoon's efforts to compromise American telecommunications companies.

The FBI, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines, Federal Communications Commission Chair Jessica Rosenworcel, the National Security Council and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency were among the participants in the closed-door briefing, officials told Reuters.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.