On Wednesday, September 25th, The Wall Street Journal cited sources familiar with the matter as saying that a Chinese Communist hacker group named “Salt Typhoon” had infiltrated the broadband network in the United States.
Hackers associated with the Chinese government have been infiltrating the networks of a few American internet service providers in recent months to obtain sensitive information.
Investigators in the United States have named the hacker group behind this latest incident “Salt Typhoon.” These actors linked to the Chinese Communist Party infiltrated the U.S. broadband network and attempted to establish a foothold in the infrastructure of cable TV and broadband providers to access data stored by telecommunications companies or launch destructive cyber attacks.
Last week, U.S. officials stated that they had disrupted a zombie network controlled by a Chinese hacker group called “Flax Typhoon,” composed of over 200,000 routers, cameras, and other internet-connected consumer devices. This network targeted critical infrastructure in the U.S. and overseas, ranging from American businesses and media organizations to universities and government agencies.
As early as January, federal officials had uncovered the activities of a Chinese hacker group named “Volt Typhoon,” which also sought to quietly penetrate key infrastructure in the United States.
Earlier this year, FBI Director Christopher Wray stated at a security conference in Germany that the cyber threat posed by the Chinese government is significant. He emphasized that China’s hacking activities surpass those of all other major countries combined.
Senior officials in the Biden administration have publicly warned over the past year that Chinese hacking operations aim to sow social panic and may pose a threat to the lives of Americans. If the Chinese military were to invade Taiwan, hackers could potentially disrupt America’s ability to support Taiwan.
Officials have repeatedly stated that the understanding of Beijing’s infiltration of critical infrastructure by American private sector and government agencies may only scratch the surface, given the high level of secrecy and sophistication of Chinese hackers.
Chinese officials typically deny hacking accusations and criticisms.