Republican vice presidential candidate JD Vance has confirmed that Chinese government-linked hackers targeted his and former President Donald Trump's phone communications by accessing major US telecommunications networks. Vance revealed this information during a podcast with Joe Rogan, stating that the hackers used the backdoor telecom infrastructure developed in the wake of the Patriot Act to breach the Verizon and AT&T networks.
Vance expressed a nonchalant attitude towards the situation, mentioning that he believes the hackers may not have obtained significant information due to his cautious use of encrypted messaging platforms like Signal and iMessage. He also noted that encrypted messages that were not sent remained secure.
The Chinese hacking group, known as Salt Typhoon in the cybersecurity industry, is considered a top-tier threat that is challenging to detect. Despite the denial from the Chinese government regarding these allegations, ongoing investigations are being conducted to uncover the extent of the breach.
Previous reports indicated that the Chinese hackers targeted individuals associated with the Trump-Vance and Harris-Walz campaigns as part of a broader cyber-espionage effort aimed at high-level US targets. The hacking campaign has raised concerns among US officials and the national security establishment in Washington, particularly as the phone communications of current and former senior US officials are highly sought after by foreign spies.
Notable figures such as Eric Trump, Jared Kushner, and the staff of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer were also among the targets of the alleged Chinese hacking campaign. The situation has added a layer of complexity and urgency to cybersecurity efforts in the lead-up to the election.
