The Salt Typhoon is reportedly a Chinese state-sponsored hacking group implicated in hacking communications meant for key figures in the U.S. presidential race. It was reported to have hit former President Donald Trump’s communications and that of his running mate, JD Vance. This hacking group was reported to be linked with China’s Ministry of State Security and had engaged in very sophisticated cyber-espionage activities in the past. Recently, they hacked into major U.S. telecommunications networks such as AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies.

The Salt Typhoon group focused on wiretap-enabled networks that were used for legal surveillance, which may have compromised sensitive counterintelligence systems. The group is reported to have exploited backdoors in telecom infrastructure to access key communication channels, which included those involving U.S. political candidates. The investigations also reveal that the hackers attempted to infiltrate devices linked to Kamala Harris’s campaign staff, showing the group’s interest in multiple political targets.

The breach is ringing alarm bells throughout the U.S. intelligence community. “The lawmakers have called upon the affected telecom companies for detailed briefings to judge the security implications of this attack and devise stronger counter measures,” according to reports from Washington. This incident demonstrates a broader pattern of Chinese state-backed groups’ intrusion into the cyber world against the U.S. ahead of the electoral process in the country.

Salt Typhoon was seen at least in 2020 and could penetrate a complex network, all this while remaining unnoticed through some very advanced anti-forensic techniques. As the U.S. works to patch this breach, it showcases how desperately in need it is of stronger cyber defenses against highly aggressive nation-state actors like China.

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