Investigation of CCP Hackers Uncovers "Extensive and Significant" Espionage Activities

Illustrative image: Surveillance cameras surrounding Beijing's Tiananmen Square closely monitor the movements of people in the area. (Screenshot from the internet)

[People News] On Wednesday, November 13, the U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) stated that its investigation into hackers linked to the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) targeting U.S. telecommunications networks revealed an "extensive and significant" cyber espionage operation aimed at stealing information from Americans involved in government and political fields.

According to Radio Free Asia, the Associated Press cited a joint statement issued that day by the FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). The statement indicated that hackers connected to Beijing had infiltrated the networks of "multiple" telecommunications companies to obtain customer call records and a "limited amount" of private communications.

The FBI did not disclose the identities of specific individuals targeted by the hackers but stated that most of them were "primarily engaged in government or political activities." The FBI also noted that the hackers attempted to replicate "certain information requested by U.S. law enforcement under court orders," suggesting that the hackers may have been attempting to undermine procedures governed by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This law grants broad authority to U.S. intelligence agencies to monitor the communications of individuals suspected of being foreign agents.

Previously, U.S. authorities linked several high-profile hacking incidents to the CCP. These incidents involved the theft of technology and government information and attacks on critical infrastructure, such as the power grid.

In September this year, the FBI announced that it had thwarted a large-scale CCP hacking operation called "Flax Typhoon." This operation involved installing malware on over 200,000 consumer devices to create a massive botnet that could be used for other cybercrimes.

Last month, U.S. officials stated that hackers associated with the CCP targeted the phones of then-presidential candidate Donald Trump, his running mate J.D. Vance, and confidants of Democratic Vice President Kamala Harris.

Responding to Wednesday's statement by the U.S. government, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said at a regular press conference on November 14 that China has "no interest" in using cyber means to interfere in other countries' internal affairs and opposes the dissemination of "false information related to China" for political purposes.