Post by : Bianca
Haleem
The Chinese hacking collective known as Salt Typhoon has successfully infiltrated the email systems utilized by staff members from various influential committees within the US House of Representatives, sources reveal.
Access was reportedly gained to email accounts belonging to staffers from the House China Committee, as well as aides from committees covering foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services. Specific identities of affected individuals have not been disclosed.
This cybersecurity breach was uncovered in December, though it remains unconfirmed whether any US lawmakers' emails were compromised during the incident.
China has dismissed these allegations as unfounded, with a spokesperson from the embassy referring to the claims as baseless. US authorities, including the FBI, have refrained from commenting, and neither the White House nor the involved committees issued immediate statements.
Lawmakers and their aides—particularly those involved in military and intelligence oversight—have historically been prime targets of international cyber espionage. Previous incidents underscore persistent weaknesses in government communication protocols.
The Salt Typhoon group has been a significant concern for US intelligence agencies, with accusations of them harvesting large quantities of data from American telecommunications and intercepting discussions involving high-ranking US officials. China has consistently denied any involvement in these cyber activities.
Last year, the United States enacted sanctions against a purported hacker and a cybersecurity firm in China alleged to have links with the Salt Typhoon initiative.
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