Chinese hackers are believed to have targeted the cell phones of Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump and running mate Sen. JD Vance as part of a broader espionage effort now under investigation by the U.S. government, according to sources familiar with the situation.
The Trump/Vance campaign was notified that the candidates may have been among several individuals whose phones were targeted and possibly compromised by hackers, sources told ABC News this week.
The FBI has confirmed that the U.S. government is "investigating the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People's Republic of China."
"After the FBI identified specific malicious activity targeting the sector, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) immediately notified affected companies, rendered technical assistance, and rapidly shared information to assist other potential victims. The investigation is ongoing, and we encourage any organization that believes it might be a victim to engage its local FBI field office or CISA," noted the statement, which did not name individuals or political campaigns.
The exact nature of the breach remains unclear, including what specific access, if any, the hackers had to the phones. Investigators are working to determine details, including the potential implications for the campaign and individuals involved. This incident raises further concerns about the vulnerability of political figures to cyber threats, particularly during a critical election period.
News of the breach follows incidents earlier this summer in which senior officials from the former president's campaign were targeted by Iranian hackers, the New York Times reported. Trump's security measures were heightened due to threats against his life attributed to Iran.
Major U.S. broadband and internet companies, including AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, are also currently being targeted by hackers, according to CNN. Sources familiar with the situation have expressed concern over the hackers' sophistication, persistence, and ability to infiltrate computer networks. The particular Chinese hacking group linked to the breaches is known in the cybersecurity field as Salt Typhoon.
U.S. officials have updated members of the House and Senate intelligence committees regarding the ongoing Chinese hacking efforts.
Last month, the FBI revealed that some of the materials hacked from Trump's campaign had been forwarded to personal email accounts of staffers from President Joe Biden's previous campaign.
