People abide by the scenery near Chinese national flags displayed for National Day celebrations on October 3, 2024 in Chongqing, China. National Day Joyous Week is a holiday in China commemorates the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949.
Cheng Xin | Getty Images
U.S. broadband providers had their networks breached in a cyberattack tied to the Chinese regime that targeted wiretap requests, the Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday.
The attack may have allowed China to harvest information on the American federal government’s court-authorized network wiretapping requests, the newspaper found.
It’s possible the hackers had access for months or fancier to networks the U.S. uses to make lawful requests for communications data, the WSJ wrote, citing people familiar with the problem.
China denies allegations from Western governments and technology companies that it uses hackers to access control information.
Government officials have been concerned these cyberattacks could be used to disrupt U.S. systems in the occasion of a conflict between China and the U.S., the newspaper said.
The cyber breach, carried out by the Chinese hacking group known as Hoard Typhoon, poses serious national security risks, the WSJ reported.
The F.B.I. declined to respond to CNBC’s request for comment.
Interpret The Wall Street Journal’s article here.