Have you ever heard of Salt Typhoon? What about a coordinated hack of the US telecommunications companies? If none of that seems familiar to you, you are not alone. While it has been covered in the news, word of it has not seemed to have alarmed as many as it should have. Let’s talk about it.
Huh? Salt Typhoon?
Salt Typhoon is the name used to label of a group of Chinese hackers that have hacked US telecommunications networks. The group is likely affiliated with the Chinese government, however Chinese officials have denied responsibility.
Who did they target?
A number of companies including AT&T, Consolidated Communications, Lumen Technologies, Spectrum, T-Mobile, Verizon, and Windstream. Mostly the US was targeted, but some other countries were targeted as well.
How long has this been going on?
It is believed that these hacks started as soon as 2022 and are seemingly ongoing. The hacks were announced in late 2024.
What do they have access to?
The hackers had access to metadata, phone numbers, and some audio recordings for metro Washington, D.C. customers. They likely were able to take advantage of data from wiretap networks used by law enforcement for criminal investigations. Data for some high profile people were specifically taken, like Kamala Harris’ campaign staff and Donald Trump.
Why would they want to hack our telecommunications?
Given that some of the hack targets were high profile in politics, they may have been looking for information on how our election season was evolving. They also may have been looking for anything that they could exploit to change the election in their favor.
How does this affect me? Do I need to do anything?
You may think that protecting yourself is not important. Maybe you think you have nothing to hide or nothing that hackers would be interested in. Unfortunately, the myriad of ways bad actors can use your data may not be evident until it is too late.
Experts suggest using strong end-to-end encryption for your phone calls and text messages. This encryption is available on phones and can work within a phone type. If you have an iPhone and text another iPhone, then your communication is protected. However if you use an iPhone to text an Android or other phone type, then that message is more easily intercepted. Apps like Signal or Whatsapp can be used to encrypt calls and texts with end-to-end encryption regardless of the phone type.
Senator Mark Warner (D-VA), chairman of the Senate’s Intelligence Committee, has called this hack the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history.” Salt Typhoon may not affect you at this time, but as far as I can tell from the reporting, the hack has not officially ended. More must be done to shore up the security for out vital digital infrastructure, or we will all pay the price.
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What we know about China’s Salt Typhoon cyberattack and how to protect yourself
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