Major US telecom hack prompts security push after Salt Typhoon attack

Lawmakers have called for urgent measures to strengthen US telecommunications security following a massive cyberattack linked to China. The hacking campaign, referred to as Salt Typhoon, targeted American telecom companies, compromising vast amounts of metadata and call records. Federal agencies have briefed Congress on the incident, which officials say could be the largest telecom breach in US history.

Senator Ben Ray Luján described the hack as a wake-up call, urging the full implementation of federal recommendations to secure networks. Senator Ted Cruz warned of future threats, emphasising the need to close vulnerabilities in critical infrastructure. Debate also surfaced over the role of offensive cybersecurity measures, with Senator Dan Sullivan questioning whether deterrence efforts are adequate.

The White House reported that at least eight telecommunications firms were affected, with significant data theft. In response, Federal Communications Commission Chairwoman Jessica Rosenworcel proposed annual cybersecurity certifications for telecom companies. Efforts to replace insecure Chinese-made equipment in US networks continue, but funding shortfalls have hampered progress.

China has dismissed the allegations, claiming opposition to all forms of cybercrime. However, US officials have cited evidence of data theft involving companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen. Congress is set to vote on a defence bill allocating $3.1 billion to remove and replace vulnerable telecom hardware.