People's Republic of China Undertaking Major Cyberespionage Targeting U.S. Telecom Networks

US authorities have revealed a "broad and significant" cyberespionage campaign conducted by China-linked hackers aimed at stealing information from Americans involved in government and politics.

In a joint statement on Wednesday, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) reported that hackers connected to Beijing had "compromised networks at multiple telecommunications companies."

The breach facilitated the "theft of customer call records data" and compromised the "private communications of a limited number of individuals," according to the agencies.

While the FBI and CISA did not identify specific targets, they noted that the individuals affected were "primarily involved in government or political activity."

The hackers also accessed "information that was subject to US law enforcement requests pursuant to court orders," suggesting an attempt to infiltrate programs under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), which grants extensive surveillance powers to spy agencies monitoring suspected foreign agents.

The agencies stated that they anticipate their "understanding of these compromises to grow as the investigation continues." This announcement follows a series of high-profile cyber incidents that Washington attributes to Beijing’s larger strategy to steal technological and governmental data and target critical US infrastructure.

In September, the FBI disclosed a wide-ranging Chinese hacking operation known as Flax Typhoon.

This campaign involved the deployment of malicious software on over 200,000 consumer devices, including cameras, video recorders, and routers in homes and offices. These compromised devices were then used to create a network of infected computers capable of supporting cybercrime, as per US authorities.

Last month, the FBI launched an investigation into alleged Chinese hacking of mobile phones used by then-Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.

The hackers reportedly also targeted individuals connected to Democratic nominee Kamala Harris and infiltrated the network of US mobile provider Verizon.

The FBI and CISA have not clarified whether or how the latest hacking efforts are linked to these previous campaigns.

“The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) continue to render technical assistance, rapidly share information to assist other potential victims, and work to strengthen cyber defenses across the commercial communications sector,” the agencies said. “We encourage any organization that believes it might be a victim to engage its local FBI Field Office or CISA.”