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U.S. Phone Giant T-Mobile Hit by Cyberattack Amid Wave of Telecom Hacks

Shailaja Pathak
Shailaja Pathak·Nov 25, 2024·1 min read
T-Mobile logo representing the telecom company hit by a cyberattack in a broader hacking wave

T-Mobile has become the latest victim in a series of cyberattacks targeting major U.S. and international telecommunications companies, according to a report by The Wall Street Journal. The breach, attributed to a group of hackers known as "Salt Typhoon," linked to the Chinese government, is part of a broader campaign targeting the wiretap systems of phone and internet providers.

In a statement, T-Mobile acknowledged the intrusion but maintained that there was no significant impact on its systems or evidence of customer data being compromised.

“We are closely monitoring this industry-wide attack,” the company said.

A T-Mobile spokesperson declined to confirm whether the company had technical capabilities, such as logs, to determine if any customer data had been accessed or exfiltrated. However, the spokesperson did not dispute the reporting by The Wall Street Journal.

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have warned that the attacks are part of a “broad and significant cyber espionage campaign” aimed at intercepting call records and text messages of high-ranking U.S. officials, including presidential candidates. Other affected companies reportedly include AT&T, Verizon, and Lumen (formerly CenturyLink).

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This marks the ninth cyberattack on T-Mobile in recent years, following a 2023 breach that exposed the personal information of 37 million customers. The ongoing incidents underscore the growing vulnerabilities in the telecommunications sector and the escalating threat of state-sponsored cyber espionage.

The FBI and CISA continue to urge the telecom industry to bolster security measures and remain vigilant against such intrusions.


Edited by Harshajit Sarmah

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