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The FBI and CISA have released a joint statement warning of a Chinese cyberespionage campaign targeting US telecommunications networks.
What’s the deal: In a joint statement, the FBI and CISA confirmed that they’ve uncovered a “broad and significant” cyberespionage campaign led by Chinese government-linked actors, who compromised multiple US telecommunications networks. According to the release, the FBI and CISA “identified that PRC-affiliated actors have compromised networks at multiple telecommunications companies to enable the theft of customer call records data, the compromise of private communications of a limited number of individuals who are primarily involved in government or political activity.”

Additionally, the investigation revealed that Chinese-linked hackers targeted data associated with the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), aiming to access highly sensitive information managed under US surveillance protocols. Although the FBI and CISA have not confirmed whether the hackers successfully accessed this data, their attempt to infiltrate FISA-governed programs suggests an effort to acquire classified insights into US intelligence and surveillance operations.
Digging in: By obtaining FISA-related information, the hackers could gain access to surveillance requests, methodologies, and the identities of foreign agents under observation, providing them with a deeper understanding of US intelligence activities, targets, and monitoring capabilities.
This all comes amid earlier reports that Chinese hackers recently targeted the cell phones of prominent US political figures, including former President-Elect Donald Trump, his running mate Senator JD Vance, and individuals linked to Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.