Chinese hackers are reportedly suspected of targeting the cellphones of former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, according to reports.
This week, the Trump/Vance campaign learned that their phone numbers are among those believed to have been targeted and possibly compromised. The extent of any unauthorized access to the devices remains unclear, and investigators are actively working to uncover this information.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued a statement regarding the hacks but did not specifically mention the campaign. Nevertheless, reports claim that the targets were indeed associated with the Trump/Vance campaign.
Trump campaign blames Harris, Biden administration
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency stated that they are looking into the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by individuals linked to the People’s Republic of China. They noted that once the FBI detected specific malicious activity affecting the sector, they promptly informed impacted companies, provided technical support, and shared critical information to help other potential victims.
In reaction to these developments, the Trump campaign has sought to assign blame to Vice President Kamala Harris and the Biden administration, claiming that they are encouraging hostile actions by China and Iran against vital American infrastructure in an effort to hinder President Trump’s chances of returning to the White House.
Investigation of Chinese hackers
Earlier this year, Western cybersecurity experts uncovered the existence of a hacking group known as Salt Typhoon, which is linked to China, within American telecommunications systems. However, officials indicated that it was only recently established that the hackers were focusing on particular phone numbers.
The investigation into the scope of the hacking and its potential impact on national security is still in its initial phases. It remains uncertain whether the attack could enable the monitoring or recording of phone calls. Additionally, the ability of the hackers to read or intercept text messages would largely depend on the specific messaging applications used by the targets and the way that data was transmitted through the telecommunications provider’s systems.
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