Washington, DC [US]: Hackers linked to the Chinese government targeted the phone communications of former US President Donald Trump and Vice Presidential nominee JD Vance as part of their cyber-espionage activity aimed at high-level US targets, CNN reported, citing two sources familiar with the matter.
According to one of the sources, the Chinese hackers also targeted senior Biden administration officials.
US officials this week informed the former president’s campaign that Trump and Vance were among a group of people whose phones were targeted by the Chinese hackers, the report stated.
In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung slammed the Harris campaign for allegedly ’emboldening’ China.
It was, however, not immediately clear what information, if any, the hackers were able to acquire. Phone communications of current and former senior US officials are coveted by foreign spies, as reported by CNN.
In a statement on Friday, the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), said, “The US Government is investigating the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.”
After the FBI identified the hacking targeting telecommunication firms, the CISA and FBI “immediately notified affected companies, rendered technical assistance, and rapidly shared information to assist other potential victims,” the statement said, adding the investigation was underway.
The New York Times first reported on hackers targeting the phones of Donald Trump and JD Vance. The effort is part of a broader Chinese hacking campaign that has infiltrated multiple US telecommunications companies in the past several months.
Investigators believe the hackers are likely trying to access sensitive national security information, including, in some cases, information on wiretap warrant requests made by the US Justice Department, CNN had reported previously.
The report further stated citing sources that there is no indication in this case that the hackers searched for data on Donald Trump and JD Vance linked to US law enforcement activity.
The hackers’ targets include major US broadband and internet providers AT&T, Verizon and Lumen. The Chinese government has refuted the allegations.
The development comes as China, Iran and Russia continue to make efforts to influence or monitor various aspects of the US election, according to CNN.
China has not made a concerted effort to influence the presidential election. According to US intelligence agencies, but has targeted at least 10 congressional, state or local election races with covert social media campaigns.