Who:
Victim: Major US internet service providers (ISPs), including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen (CenturyLink).
Perpetrator: Chinese government hackers, attributed to the group "Salt Typhoon."
What:
Incident: Chinese hackers infiltrated the networks of US ISPs, potentially gaining access to systems used for court-authorized wiretaps of communications networks. Hackers also had access to broader internet traffic, reconfiguring Cisco routers to exfiltrate data.
Breach Duration: Hackers remained undetected in the networks for months.
Impact:
Potential Exposure: While it is unconfirmed, there are concerns that wiretap systems and federal surveillance targets could have been compromised. Investigations by the FBI, intelligence agencies, and the Department of Homeland Security are ongoing.
Response: Verizon is working closely with the FBI, Microsoft, and Google’s Mandiant to address the breach. The hack raises concerns about the security posture of the affected ISPs and the sophistication of the attackers.
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