A White House official announced a ninth US telecom company was hacked by a Chinese group called Salt Typhoon, with further government measures on the way.
Key Facts:
– The Salt Typhoon espionage campaign is attributed to China.
– The Biden administration blames telecom companies for slow detection.
– One compromised administrator account had access to 100,000 routers.
– Fewer than 100 individuals’ calls and texts were affected, mostly in DC and Virginia.
– The Commerce Department already banned China Telecom, and more actions are expected.
The Rest of The Story:
Officials say private firms must do more to protect their networks from nation-state hackers.
Deputy National Security Advisor Anne Neuberger said the Biden administration is going to hold China accountable, noting that compromising a single telecom company can grant vast access.
Federal agencies are exploring tighter rules for providers and government contractors.
Neuberger also warned of a rise in health-related hacks that could expose medical data to blackmail, prompting new regulations from the Department of Health and Human Services.
"It's time we go on the offensive."
Chairmen of the @HomelandGOP @RepMarkGreen spotlighted Beijing's role in the Salt Typhoon hack — an ongoing breach of US telecom companies.@politico: https://t.co/uKFaM3bPMM pic.twitter.com/W7NcDFQIUZ
— Hudson Institute (@HudsonInstitute) December 18, 2024
Commentary:
We commend the Biden administration for taking a stand against Chinese cyber espionage.
Announcing a ban on China Telecom and discussing stricter policies are positive steps.
Still, we remain doubtful that these measures will result in real change before the new Trump administration takes office on January 20.
The reality is that China felt emboldened to target US telecoms due to a perceived lack of decisive action by the current leadership.
The Bottom Line:
Salt Typhoon underscores the risk to critical US networks, and stronger cybersecurity rules are on the table.
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Yet questions remain about whether lasting policy changes will materialize prior to January 20th when the new trump administration takes office.