A major cyber-espionage operation linked to Chinese intelligence has reportedly infiltrated T-Mobile US Inc. (NASDAQ:TMUS) and other telecom giants, including rivals AT&T Inc. (NYSE:T) and Verizon Communications Inc. (NYSE:VZ) suffered a similar breach, raising significant national security concerns.
What Happened: T-Mobile’s network was compromised in a large-scale cyber-espionage operation attributed to Chinese hackers, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal.
This breach, which also affected other U.S. and international telecom companies, targeted cellphone communications of high-value intelligence targets.
The extent of the data compromised from T-Mobile customers remains uncertain.
"T-Mobile systems and data have not been impacted in any significant way, and we have no evidence of impacts to customer information," said a T-Mobile spokesperson, according to the report.
See Also: Microsoft President Warns Beijing’s Tech Progress Is Catching Up With The West
The breach, linked to the Salt Typhoon group, is considered historic in its scope and severity by some U.S. officials. AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN) were also reportedly affected.
Hackers exploited vulnerabilities in Cisco Systems routers and possibly used AI or machine learning to enhance their operations, accessing cellphone lines of senior U.S. government and political figures.
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Why It Matters: This breach is part of a series of cyberattacks attributed to Chinese hackers, raising alarms about national security.
In April, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned about China’s potential to disrupt U.S. infrastructure, highlighting the targeting of sectors like telecommunications, energy, and water.
In May, a major hacking incident exposed data of U.K. military personnel, with China suspected as the perpetrator.
The recent breach of T-Mobile and other telecom giants underscores the ongoing threat posed by state-sponsored cyber-espionage, emphasizing the need for heightened cybersecurity measures.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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