Washington (AP) — A top White House official revealed on Wednesday that a sprawling Chinese hacking campaign has compromised the private texts and phone conversations of an unknown number of Americans.
** The scope of the hack was divulged by Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger, who offered new details about the breadth of the campaign. The hacking, dubbed "Salt Typhoon," has been linked to at least eight U.S. telecom firms and dozens of nations. **Impact on U.S. Telecom Firms
**The impact on U.S. telecom firms is significant, with multiple companies reporting breaches in their systems.
Neuberger revealed that the hacking campaign has given officials in Beijing access to private communications of senior government officials and prominent political figures. The number of telecommunication firms and countries impacted could still grow, as White House officials cautioned. **Nationwide Impact
**The impact on dozens of nations is also significant, with multiple countries reporting breaches in their systems.
The U.S. believes that the hackers were able to gain access to communications of senior U.S. government officials and prominent political figures through the hack. Neuberger noted that because the hack appeared to be targeting a relatively small group of individuals, only a small number of Americans' phone calls and texts have been compromised. **White House Response
**The White House has taken steps to address the issue, with President Joe Biden being briefed on the findings.
Neuberger added that impacted companies are all responding, but none "have fully removed the Chinese actors from these networks." She emphasized that there is a risk of ongoing compromises to communications until U.S. companies address the cybersecurity gaps. **Chinese Embassy Response
**The Chinese embassy in Washington rejected the accusations, calling on the U.S. to stop its own cyberattacks.
The Chinese embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu said that the U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cybersecurity to smear and slander China. **History of Hacking
**The hacking campaign has a long history, with federal authorities confirming in October that hackers linked to China targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance.
The number of countries impacted by the hack is currently believed to be in the "low, couple dozen," according to a senior administration official. **Prevention Measures
**The White House has suggested several technical measures to prevent similar hacking campaigns in the future.
Neuberger pointed to efforts that have been made to beef up cybersecurity in other sectors following the May 2021 ransomware attack on Colonial Pipeline. She emphasized that preventing ongoing Salt Typhoon-type intrusions by China requires applying a similar minimum cybersecurity practice. **Expert Opinion
**Experts say that implementing these security precautions could disrupt the operation and make it harder for China or any other nation to mount a similar attack in the future.
The cyberattack on Colonial Pipeline sent ripple effects across the economy, highlighting cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the nation's aging energy infrastructure. **Associated Press writer David Klepper contributed reporting.
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