LOS ANGELES – In a worrying development for the 2024 US presidential race, Chinese hackers tried to access mobile phones linked to both Republican candidate Donald Trump and Democratic candidate Kamala Harris, US officials have revealed.

This cyber espionage effort, described by intelligence agencies as part of a broader operation, reflects growing concerns about foreign interference as the election approaches.

How were Trump and Harris campaign devices targeted?

According to sources familiar with the investigation, the Chinese hackers allegedly targeted the phones used by Trump, his running mate JD Vance and people from the Harris campaign.

While it remains unclear what, if any, data the hackers accessed, the FBI continues to investigate the incident. The agency issued a statement acknowledging the investigation into “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure” and working with industry partners to strengthen defenses.

The wider espionage operation behind the hack

This intrusion is just one element of a broader Chinese cyber campaign aimed at collecting information on US political figures, corporations and critical infrastructure.

Chinese hackers have been involved in several cyber incidents in recent years, including efforts to infiltrate telecommunications and disrupt US infrastructure. The FBI has warned that groups linked to the Chinese government could try to destabilize vital systems if hostilities between the US and China arise.

US intelligence on China’s role in the election

While China has maintained a neutral stance in the 2024 presidential race, officials believe its intelligence operations are focusing more on lower-ballot races.

Candidates in both parties with opposing views on Taiwan and other key policies appear to be among those targeted.

Instead, intelligence agencies report that Russia and Iran have each supported candidates more openly, potentially favoring Trump in certain narratives.

Past cybersecurity alerts and recent outages

This year, the FBI disclosed details of two major hacking operations in China. The first, Volt Typhoon, allegedly compromised numerous routers in the US, seeking access to infrastructure such as water treatment plants and transportation systems.

Last month, director Chris Wray also detailed “Typhoon Flax,” an operation targeting consumer devices at universities and government agencies with malicious software.

Response from Chinese campaigns and officials

Both the Trump and Harris teams have addressed the attempted breaches, with Trump’s camp suggesting that foreign adversaries, including China and Iran, felt emboldened to target the US election process.

Meanwhile, a Chinese embassy spokesman reiterated that China has no intention of meddling in the US election, saying that cyber operations targeting US campaigns or communications networks would be at odds with China’s policies.

Source

This article is based on reporting in an Associated Press article, as well as recent updates from US cybersecurity agencies and statements from FBI Director Chris Wray.