During a high-level meeting in Geneva with American officials, representatives from China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs indirectly linked years of computer network breaches at U.S. ports, water utilities, airports, and other critical targets to increasing U.S. policy support for Taiwan. This operation reportedly allowed hackers working for China’s Ministry of State Security to access unencrypted calls and texts of numerous government officials and political figures, including those within the presidential campaigns of Donald Trump and Kamala Harris. The Trump administration has indicated plans to pursue more offensive cyber strikes against China, while simultaneously dismissing hundreds of cybersecurity workers and recently firing the director of the National Security Agency and his deputy, raising concerns about the government’s capacity to defend against ongoing attacks. The campaign, dubbed “Volt Typhoon” by security researchers, has been described by U.S. officials as an attempt to establish a foothold in critical networks that could be leveraged during a potential future conflict. Wang Lei, a top cyber official with China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, made the comments after U.S. representatives emphasized that China appeared not to understand how dangerous prepositioning in civilian critical infrastructure was, and how such actions could be viewed as an act of war. The admission came during a previously undisclosed half-day summit in December, attended by approximately a dozen representatives from both countries, including senior officials from the State Department, National Security Council, Pentagon, and U.S. intelligence agencies. Chinese officials have implicitly acknowledged responsibility for a series of sophisticated cyber intrusions targeting critical U.S. infrastructure. The admission is considered extraordinary, as Chinese officials have typically denied involvement in cyber operations, blamed criminal entities, or accused the U.S. of fabricating allegations. American officials present at the meeting perceived the remarks as confirmation of Beijing’s role and an attempt to deter U.S. involvement should conflict erupt in the Taiwan Strait. With years of experience under his belt in Cyber Security, he is covering Cyber Security News, technology and other news. While Chinese officials did not explicitly claim responsibility, their comments were interpreted by the American delegation as confirmation of Beijing’s involvement and a warning about U.S. involvement in Taiwan. The Geneva meeting also addressed a separate hacking campaign known as “Salt Typhoon,” which targeted U.S. telecommunications networks including AT&T and Verizon. Cyber Security News is a Dedicated News Platform For Cyber News, Cyber Attack News, Hacking News & Vulnerability Analysis. Security researchers noted that the operation’s sophisticated nature and persistence techniques suggest a well-resourced, state-sponsored actor with long-term strategic objectives rather than immediate financial gain.
This Cyber News was published on cybersecuritynews.com. Publication date: Mon, 14 Apr 2025 17:20:22 +0000