U.S. and Allies Label Salt Typhoon Hacking Incident as a Critical National Security Concern
In a significant move to bolster global cybersecurity, a joint Cybersecurity Advisory was officially issued on August 27, 2025, by the FBI, in collaboration with international intelligence partners, the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), the National Security Agency (NSA), and the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Center. The advisory, co-signed by intelligence and cybersecurity agencies from North America, Europe, Australia, and Asia, including partners such as Australia, Canada, Japan, the United Kingdom, Germany, and others, warns of Chinese state-sponsored advanced persistent threat (APT) actors, including groups like Salt Typhoon, OPERATOR PANDA, and others, conducting widespread cyber espionage by compromising global critical infrastructure networks.
The Salt Typhoon incident, as it has come to be known, is a declaration from Beijing that the battle for cyberspace is global, relentless, and deeply tied to national defense. It is not about a single intrusion but about the quiet weaponization of the internet itself. The advisory promotes detection and mitigation efforts such as patching vulnerabilities, enabling centralized logging, and securing network edge infrastructure to reduce risk and enhance resilience of critical infrastructure worldwide against these cyber threats.
For individuals, personal responsibility plays a crucial role. Setting account PINs and port-out locks with carriers, enabling multifactor authentication across all accounts, and activating SIM-swap protections where available can help shrink one's personal risk surface. For those working in the defense sector, the personal responsibility is even greater, and they should push their organization to confirm Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) readiness now.
The CMMC framework and compliance requirement are not red tape but a survival mechanism for defense contractors and their subcontractors, as the techniques used to compromise telecom networks can be used against them unless standards are enforced and verified. Beginning in October, all new defense solicitations will require CMMC compliance.
Telecommunications networks are the arteries of modern economies, the nervous system of national defense, and one of the 16 critical infrastructure sectors that U.S. regulators have slated for increased cybersecurity standardization. This coalition represents one of the broadest international responses to a cyber campaign in history.
The advisory also highlights several vulnerabilities that need immediate attention, including Ivanti 2024-21887, Palo Alto PAN-OS 2024-3400, Cisco IOS XE 2023-20198 and 2023-20273. Executives, CISOs, and network operators must treat the Salt Typhoon incident as a call to arms and take immediate action to secure their networks.
In conclusion, the joint Cybersecurity Advisory serves as a stark reminder of the global cyber threats we face and the urgent need for vigilance and action. By following the recommendations outlined in the advisory, individuals and organizations can help protect themselves and contribute to a safer, more secure cyberspace.
