FBI says China’s Salt Typhoon hacked at least 200 US companies

The FBI has confirmed that a Chinese-backed hacking campaign known as Salt Typhoon has compromised at least 200 American companies, marking a significant escalation in Chinese cyber espionage efforts. FBI Assistant Director Brett Leatherman revealed that the campaign not only targeted U.S. businesses but also involved spying on senior American politicians and officials by accessing call records. This allowed hackers to map communication networks and identify who was under U.S. surveillance through legal orders. The severity of the threat led some officials to take extraordinary measures to protect their communications. Salt Typhoon primarily targets company routers to siphon sensitive network traffic, posing an ongoing threat according to the FBI. The agency, in coordination with nearly two dozen international partners, has provided technical guidance to help organizations detect and mitigate these intrusions. Although specific victim companies were not named by Leatherman, some have since been publicly identified. This campaign underscores the persistent and global nature of Chinese cyber espionage activities against U.S. interests.