Infiltration by Chinese hackers: Trump, JD Vance singled out in significant cyberassault, according to investigators' claims
In a shocking revelation, it has been alleged that a Chinese hacking group known as Salt Typhoon may have stolen data from every American, including US President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance. The cyberattack, carried out by Chinese state-sponsored hackers during the presidential campaign trail of Donald Trump and JD Vance, targeted over a half dozen telecom and internet service companies in the US.
The attack, a result of a years-long coordinated effort according to US investigators, exploited old vulnerabilities in the networks, according to British officials. The hackers were able to listen to phone calls, read text messages, and access locally stored files on devices of targeted individuals.
Salt Typhoon, a group alleged to have been hacking into power grids and companies for decades, has been linked to at least three Chinese tech firms: Sichuan Juxinhe Network Technology Co. Ltd., Beijing Huanyu Tianqiong Information Technology Co., Ltd., and Sichuan Zhixin Ruijie Network Technology Co., Ltd. These companies have a history of carrying out operations for the Chinese military and civilian intelligence agencies.
The scale of this breach highlights China's ever-growing ambitions for global influence across all fields, including defence and technology. The cyberbreach aimed to give Chinese officials the capacity to "identify and track their targets' communications and movements around the world."
In a separate development, Chinese officials unveiled its latest weapons and defence technologies in a military parade in Beijing on Wednesday, commemorating the 80th anniversary of Japan's surrender in World War II. Several world leaders attended the parade, including Putin and Kim.
In response to the cyberattack, a joint statement involving several countries, including Germany, the UK, Italy, Finland, and Spain, stated that the cyber criminals are targeting networks globally, including but not limited to telecommunications, government, transportation, lodging, and military infrastructure networks. UK and US officials have described the attack as "unrestrained" and "indiscriminate" in an unprecedented statement, which also included the likes of Australia, Canada, Japan, and South Korea as signatories.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump insists Usha Vance's visit to Greenland is 'friendly', while JD Vance has scaled back his visit following the controversy surrounding it. The cyberattack has brought to light the growing concerns about cybersecurity and the potential threats posed by state-sponsored hacking groups.
