China Denies Massive Hack as US Telecom Giants Report Major Data Breach in Court Systems

A Chinese hacking group reportedly breached US telecom companies Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen, accessing data from government surveillance systems. The Wall Street Journal reports that hackers maintained control of these networks for months, hindering cooperation with law enforcement.

Chinese Hackers Breach US Telecom Networks

According to Saturday's Wall Street Journal (via Reuters) article, Chinese hackers gained access to the networks of US internet providers and stole data from systems used by the federal government for court-authorized surveillance.

The publication reported that the attack was just found and that several telecommunications businesses had their networks compromised. According to sources acquainted with the situation, these organizations include Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies.

Hackers Controlled Networks for Months

According to the Journal, the companies' network infrastructure was controlled by the hackers for months, preventing them from cooperating with court-authorized U.S. requests for communications data. The report also noted that the hackers had gained access to more waves of internet data.

On Sunday, China's foreign ministry issued a statement denying knowledge of the alleged strike and claiming the US had "concocted a false narrative" to "frame" China historically.

China Denies Allegations Amid Rising Cybersecurity Tensions

"At a time when cybersecurity has become a common challenge for all countries around the world, this erroneous approach will only hinder the efforts of the international community to jointly address the challenge through dialogue and cooperation," a statement sent by the ministry to Reuters stated.

The United States government and others have accused China of using hackers to breach international computer networks, but Beijing has consistently refuted the allegations, according to Yahoo Finance.

Telecom Companies Silent on Data Breach Allegations

Not only did Verizon and AT&T not answer right away, but Lumen Technologies also chose not to comment.

A Chinese hacker outfit allegedly launched the assault in order to gather intelligence, according to the Journal. The United States has officially named it "Salt Typhoon."

Salt Typhoon Follows Earlier Espionage Allegations

Months after confronting Beijing about widespread cyber espionage under the banner of "Volt Typhoon," U.S. law enforcement dismantled a prominent Chinese hacking organization earlier this year, dubbing them "Flax Typhoon."

According to a statement from China's foreign ministry, cybersecurity services in Beijing have discovered and published evidence that "an international ransomware organization" was behind the staging of Volt Typhoon.