Cyberwarfare / Nation-State Attacks,
Election Security,
Fraud Management & Cybercrime
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has launched an investigation into reported hacking activities described as state-sponsored from China, targeting the telecommunications sector. This development follows a report suggesting that hackers associated with Beijing gained access to data from campaign phones belonging to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his vice-presidential running mate, Senator JD Vance from Ohio.
In a statement released on Friday, the FBI confirmed the identification of “specific malicious activity targeting the sector” and noted collaborations with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to inform affected telecommunications companies and offer technical support. Notably, the statement refrained from mentioning Trump by name.
According to a report by The New York Times, Trump and Vance were among numerous Verizon customers, including government officials, whose phone numbers have reportedly been flagged as targets for Chinese cyber espionage. Furthermore, there are indications that the attack may have also extended to notable Democratic figures, including influential members of Congress and possibly personnel affiliated with Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign.
Rich Young, a spokesperson for Verizon, acknowledged the situation, indicating the company is “aware” of the attempts by a “highly sophisticated nation-state actor” to access intelligence gathered from multiple U.S. telecommunications providers. As the largest wireless service provider in the United States, Verizon is currently engaged in efforts to verify and address any potential consequences of this breach.
While it remains undetermined whether the hackers successfully retrieved sensitive data, reports suggest they may have compromised the devices of staff members associated with Trump and Vance. Both The Washington Post and The New York Times disclosed that officials had notified the Trump campaign earlier in the week concerning the ongoing cyber threats.
This incident coincides with ongoing investigations into another breach of U.S. telecommunications infrastructure attributed to a group linked to the Chinese government known as Salt Typhoon. This group allegedly exploited weaknesses in the broadband infrastructure utilized for court-approved wiretaps, affecting key providers such as Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies.
The 2024 U.S. election season has already been characterized by intense foreign disinformation campaigns and attempts at interference, with experts noting that Chinese disruption strategies lack a clear partisan focus. Recent developments suggest that Chinese operations may be honing in on lower-tier elections, where misinformation can have more targeted impacts.
In a recent blog post, Microsoft acknowledged an uptick in influence operations by Russia, Iran, and China as the November 5 election date approaches, emphasizing the critical need for vigilance among businesses and governmental entities regarding cybersecurity threats.
