U.S. authorities have launched an investigation into a cyberattack believed to be linked to Chinese actors.
Looking Into Unauthorizes Access
According to Hotnews targeted attempts were reportedly aimed at the phones of former President Donald Trump and GOP vice-presidential candidate J.D. Vance.
The inquiry, which has gained national attention just days before a tightly contested presidential election, raises concerns over potential security breaches within American political campaigns.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint statement Friday, disclosing that federal investigators are looking into “unauthorized access” to telecommunications infrastructure by entities associated with the People’s Republic of China.
Although specific details are limited, the New York Times and Washington Post report that Trump and Vance, as well as members associated with Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris’s campaign team, may have been targets of the breach.
Confirmed by Verizon
According to reports, investigators are still working to determine the full extent of the intrusion, including whether any sensitive data or communications were compromised.
The exact nature of the intrusion or whether it impacted broader communications networks remains unclear, although Verizon was reportedly used by the attackers as an entry point for potential data access.
Verizon responded, confirming that they are aware of efforts by “a high-capacity state actor” targeting multiple U.S. telecommunications operators in what appears to be an intelligence-gathering operation.
The telecommunications giant emphasized it is actively assessing the situation, “working to confirm, evaluate, and address any possible impact.”
This latest incident adds to ongoing concerns about cyber threats from state actors. Just weeks ago, the Department of Justice charged three Iranian hackers in a separate incident linked to an alleged attempt to breach Trump’s campaign network.
Additionally, foreign interference in U.S. elections has been under intense scrutiny since the infamous 2016 email leak from the Democratic Party, attributed to Russian interference, which exposed sensitive internal communications during Hillary Clinton’s campaign.
