The Biden administration has begun retaliating against China for its widespread attacks on American telecommunications companies earlier this year.
Last week the Commerce Department issued a notice to China Telecom America, the US subsidiary of one of China's largest communications companies, in a preliminary finding alleging that its presence in US telecommunications networks and cloud services is a threat to national security. Creates danger. The company has 30 days to respond, although the Commerce Department has not said what further action it plans to take.
The action, which was first reported by The New York Times, is a direct response to China's intrusions into telecommunications networks earlier this year. A China-backed hacking group known as Salt Typhoon penetrated the networks of several companies, including Verizon, AT&T and Lumen Technologies. A US official familiar with the matter told CBS News in October,
It is unclear what impact this will have on China Telecom The FCC has already limited China Telecom America's ability to operate within the US communications infrastructure. In October 2021, the F.C.C. canceled This is a license to provide phone services in the United States.
The FCC found that China Telecom “is subject to exploitation, influence, and control by the Chinese government and is highly likely to be forced to comply with Chinese government requests without adequate legal processes subject to independent judicial oversight.”
China Telecom America did not respond to requests for comment.
US law enforcement and intelligence officials are trying to learn more about the scope of the hack, which targeted US surveillance capabilities used for operations including wiretaps. U.S. intelligence officials routinely seek court permission to use telecommunications systems targeted in a breach to gather information for law enforcement or national security investigations.
One fear is that the cyber attacks may have allowed hackers to access information about ongoing US investigations – including those involving China – through the collection of sensitive data and technologies.
China's intrusion into America's critical infrastructure — including water treatment plants and the electrical grid — has lawmakers on Capitol Hill and the incoming Trump administration warning of more aggressive retaliation.
“We have to start taking offense and start imposing more costs and consequences on private actors, I think,” Representative Mike Waltz, nominated by President-elect Trump as national security adviser, told Margaret Brennan on “Face the Nation” on Sunday. And nation state actors who continue to steal our data, who continue to spy on us.”
Last month, Representative Jim Himes, Democrat of Connecticut and ranking member on the House Intelligence Committee, issued a similar warning.
“We're not just going to name and shame,” he said on “Face the Nation.” “We'll go into their network and give it the best we can.”