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    • Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ espionage effort, FBI says
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    Investigation into Chinese hacking reveals ‘broad and significant’ espionage effort, FBI says

    Online Niel Posted on

    David Klepper
    | Associated Press

    Washington — A federal investigation into the Chinese government’s efforts to hack into U.S. telecommunications networks has revealed a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign designed to steal information from Americans working in government and politics, the FBI said Wednesday.

    Beijing-affiliated hackers compromised the networks of “several” telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and gain access to the private communications of “a limited number of individuals,” according to a joint statement issued by the FBI and the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure . Security Agency.

    The FBI did not identify any of the individuals targeted by the hackers, but said most of them “are primarily involved in government or political activities.”

    The hackers also tried to copy “certain information that has been the subject of US law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders,” the FBI said, suggesting the hackers may have tried to compromise programs such as those subject to the foreign intelligence surveillance or FISA. which gives US spy agencies broad powers to surveil the communications of people suspected of being agents of a foreign power.”

    The warning comes after several high-profile hacking incidents that US authorities have linked to China, part of what they say is an effort to steal technology and government information while also targeting vital infrastructure, such as would be the power grid.

    In September, the FBI announced it had busted a vast hacking operation in China known as Flax Typhoon that involved the installation of malicious software on more than 200,000 consumer devices, including cameras, video recorders and home routers, and office. The devices were then used to create a massive network of infected computers, or botnets, which could then be used to commit other cyber crimes.

    Last month, officials said hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance, along with people associated with Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris.

    Authorities have not disclosed how or if the operations announced Wednesday are connected to the previous campaigns.

    In their statement Wednesday, the FBI and CISA said officials are working with the telecommunications industry and hacking victims to shore up their defenses against ongoing cyber espionage attempts.

    “We expect that our understanding of these compromises will increase as the investigation continues,” the agencies wrote.

    China has rejected accusations by US officials that it is engaging in cyber espionage against Americans. A message left with the Chinese embassy in Washington was not immediately returned Wednesday.

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