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China-backed hackers broke into US telecom wiretap portals that law enforcement uses

Hackers tied to the Chinese government compromised the law enforcement wiretap network of U.S. telecom companies, and security analysts aren’t sure how bad it is yet.


Image credit: Elchinator on Pixabay

A group of hackers known as Salt Typhoon gained access to U.S. wiretap systems and likely have had access for several months or longer. The systems, mandated under a 30-year-old federal law, were part of the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA, which became law in 1994.

These systems would have given the group access to a wealth of information on U.S. businesses and citizens alike. Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies are among the companies whose networks were breached by the recently discovered intrusion, sources told The Wall Stereet Journal.

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