NE Washington News

House Energy and Commerce Committee leaders have reached out to major telecommunications companies, AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen, demanding explanations following recent network breaches. The cyberattacks, linked to hackers associated with the Chinese government, reportedly targeted intelligence collection and may have accessed U.S. wiretapping requests.

Committee Chair Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA) and Ranking Member Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), alongside Communications and Technology Subcommittee Chair Bob Latta (R-OH) and Ranking Member Doris Matsui (D-CA), issued letters requesting a briefing from these companies. They expressed concern over the frequency and severity of such breaches in their statement: “We are concerned by the recent reports of a massive breach of AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen’s communications networks by Chinese hackers. These types of breaches are increasing in frequency and severity, and there is a growing concern regarding the cybersecurity vulnerabilities embedded in U.S. telecommunications networks."

The Wall Street Journal reported on October 5th that broadband providers in the U.S. were compromised by a hacker group tied to the Chinese government known as Salt Typhoon. This attack appears focused on gathering intelligence and may have involved access to sensitive information such as court-authorized network wiretapping requests.

AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen were identified among those affected by this security breach. According to The Wall Street Journal, "The widespread compromise is considered a potentially catastrophic security breach."