US Wiretap Systems Allegedly Hit by Chinese Hackers

Spying on the spies

According to the report, this cyberattack was carried out by a Chinese hacking group dubbed “Salt Typhoon” by U.S. investigators. The group managed to gain access to government-mandated network introspection points that are used to collect data to fulfill a court-issued warrant or a national security letter request.

What makes this hack especially serious is not just that much of the information is related to issues of national security, but the fact that these backdoors are built into network infrastructure and designed to be undetectable. As such, this was not a one-time breach. Experts believe that the hacker group may have had access to these systems for months, which is perhaps the worst-case scenario for this kind of cyberattack.

The Chinese foreign ministry responded on Sunday, denying any knowledge of the attack and accusing the U.S. of creating false narratives to frame China. This is the latest in a series of cyberattacks that law enforcement officials in the U.S. have linked to alleged Chinese hacking groups.

The dangers of unchecked surveillance

There has long been a tension between the government and tech companies around security. Tech companies want to create secure products and services that protect their users from data breaches, malicious software, and other threats. Law enforcement agencies, however, want their own built-in backdoors to these security systems so that they can easily circumvent them.

Strong security measures can be a problem for law enforcement. For example, after nearly a year, federal agents still haven’t been able to get into the phone of indicted New York Mayor Eric Adams. A similar situation arose following a terrorist attack in 2015, when the FBI was able to recover one of the attackers’ cell phones. The FBI tried to compel Apple to create software to break iPhone encryption, but Apple refused.

Tech companies are wary to poke holes in their security systems because once you break them by installing a backdoor for the police, there’s no way to ensure that only authorized people will be able to use it. This latest cyberattack occurred because broadband providers were required to give law enforcement the ability to create automated systems to monitor and collect data to fulfill legally issued warrants.

The problem is that even if you trust those who are using these tools to spy on your network, there’s no way to guarantee that a malicious actor won’t find a way to use the same tools.

How can internet users protect themselves?

If you want to protect your online privacy from being compromised in an attack like this, there are a few things you can do. One of the most powerful tools you can use is a virtual private network (VPN). Using a VPN creates an encrypted connection, which would have protected people from the kind of surveillance that the systems involved in this cyberattack performed.

Another way to protect yourself online is to use strong, unique passwords for all your important accounts. You should also avoid logging into sensitive accounts like online banking using unsecured Wi-Fi networks at someplace like a coffee shop.