At least three telecommunications companies were hacked by Chinese hackers, and the White House established an emergency response team_1

According to a report from The Washington Post on November 11, the Biden administration has established a cross-department emergency response team this week to combat the escalating cyberattacks from China targeting American telecommunications companies for intelligence gathering. At least three prominent firms have already been breached: AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies.

Federal officials, the affected companies, and cybersecurity firms assisting in the investigations are still uncertain about how the hackers initially infiltrated the telecom systems. Sources indicate that the lack of clarity on the point of entry has complicated efforts to expel the intruders. It’s suggested that between ten to twelve companies may be impacted, although it remains unclear whether they are all U.S.-based or if some are subsidiaries.

On November 8, the White House convened deputy secretaries from key departments and ordered the formation of a “Joint Coordination Group.” The mission of this task force is to ensure seamless communication among various entities, including the FBI, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), and the Cybersecurity and Information Security Agency (CISA), when responding to hacker activities.

The government previously established similar cross-department teams in response to incidents such as the SolarWinds hack carried out by Russian cybercriminals, which affected nine federal agencies, and the infiltration of Microsoft Exchange servers by Chinese hackers in early 2021.

Reports indicate that the recent breach involving the telecommunications companies was discovered last month by Microsoft, and U.S. officials have privately suggested that this “Salt Typhoon” hacker group has ties to the Chinese Ministry of State Security.

A U.S. official told The Washington Post last week that there are indications the hackers targeted the system that records federal monitoring requests to telecom companies, but investigators have yet to gather definitive evidence confirming system intrusion.

On November 10, senior members of the House Select Committee on the CCP sent letters to the CEOs of AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies, requesting a closed-door briefing on the hacking incidents. They were asked to explain when they first became aware of the breaches and what measures they have taken to protect their surveillance systems from attacks.

Congress is increasingly concerned that this hacking incident could represent a significant failure in counterintelligence efforts, fearing that these hackers have potentially compromised vital information related to the federal government’s monitoring of Chinese threats, including the investigations conducted by the FBI.