US lawmakers demand briefing from telecom giants amid reports of CCP-sponsored cyber attack
US Representative John Moolenaar and Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi have called for a briefing from telecom giants Verizon, AT&T, and LumenTech after reports emerged about a cyber attack allegedly sponsored by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) against these firms.
In a recent statement, the Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party declared, “Chairman Rep Moolenaar and Ranking Member Congressman Raja requested that Verizon, AT&T, and LumenTech brief the committee following reports of a CCP-sponsored cyber attack against the companies.”
This call for action follows an alarming report indicating that the cyber attack, reported on October 5, penetrated the networks of several U.S. broadband providers and may have compromised systems essential for court-authorized wiretapping requests.
According to the report, the hackers potentially had extended access to critical network infrastructures, raising significant national security concerns for the United States.
A senior U.S. intelligence official highlighted the implications of this breach: “This enables the CCP to understand exactly who the U.S. government is interested in and to either undermine the government’s intelligence collection efforts or to feed the United States disinformation.”
The letter requesting the briefing points to the hacking group believed to be behind this breach, known as Salt Typhoon, which is closely linked to China’s Ministry of State Security. Earlier this year, the Select Committee also examined threats posed by another Chinese hacking group, Volt Typhoon, which had successfully compromised U.S. critical infrastructure.
The Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) was established to address the various challenges posed by the CCP to the United States and its allies. This includes investigating the activities of the CCP related to espionage, trade, technology theft, and human rights abuses, while also overseeing U.S. government policies to ensure they align with national security interests.
The committee promotes transparency around the influence of the CCP across different sectors, recommends legislation to combat this influence, and engages with stakeholders through hearings and briefings.
In light of these recent developments, there is a growing call for urgent enhancements to the United States’ cybersecurity strategies to tackle these unprecedented threats.
