The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) uncovered a “broad and significant” cyber espionage campaign aimed at stealing information from American officials and politicians during an investigation into China’s attempts to hack into U.S. telecommunications networks.
According to the FBI, hackers linked to Beijing compromised the networks of several telecommunications companies to obtain client call records and access private messages of “a limited number of individuals.”
Investigators did not identify any specific targets of the hackers, but noted that most were “primarily involved in government or political activities.” Additionally, according to the FBI, hackers tried to copy “certain information that was the subject of U.S. law enforcement requests according to court orders.”
Authorities suggested that the hackers may have tried to compromise programs covered by the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA). This law grants U.S. intelligence agencies broad powers to monitor communications of individuals suspected of espionage on behalf of a foreign state.
