Telecom
NVIDIA and MITRE announce AI-powered 6G project
The chip manufacturer and defense research firm will work with telecommunications companies to embed artificial intelligence into next generation wireless networking.
Salt Typhoon hackers exploited stolen credentials and a 7-year-old software flaw in Cisco systems
The Chinese hacking collective has widely leveraged vulnerabilities in communications infrastructure to breach dozens of telecom providers in the U.S. and overseas.
Salt Typhoon hackers possibly targeted telecom research at US universities
Recorded Future’s latest findings shed light on how widespread the Salt Typhoon campaign has become since it was uncovered last year.
Salt Typhoon breach was first detected on federal networks, CISA head says
Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency Director Jen Easterly said the group was first detected “before we understood it was Salt Typhoon.”
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GAO mulls cost evaluation of nationwide telecom hardware replacement
One major vulnerability exploited by China’s Salt Typhoon hacking unit is a Cisco hardware flaw that can’t be patched and requires physical replacement, according to a person with knowledge of the intrusions.
Hundreds of organizations were notified of potential Salt Typhoon compromise
Some of the exploited vulnerabilities have had fixes available for several years. One provider’s management system was protected with a basic numeric password.
Senate bill would require FCC to issue binding cyber rules for telecom firms
The measure from Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore. comes in the wake of Chinese-backed hackers breaching a swath of major telecommunications providers.
FCC proposes updates to wiretap security standards following Chinese telecom hacks
Several lawmakers have called for the agency to reform wiretap standards governed by the Communications Assistance for Law Enforcement Act, or CALEA.
At least 8 US carriers hit in Chinese telecom hacks, senior official says
The hacks carried out by the Salt Typhoon group impacted a couple dozen countries and may have been ongoing for one to two years, the official said.
Senators call for investigation of DOD’s comms following Chinese telecom breach
“DOD’s failure to secure its unclassified voice, video and text communications with end-to-end encryption technology has left it needlessly vulnerable to foreign espionage,” Sens. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., and Ron Wyden, D-Ore., wrote to the Pentagon’s inspector general.
Chinese telecom espionage began with ‘much broader’ aims, officials say
The U.S. has been investigating the Salt Typhoon hackers since late spring and early summer this year, a senior FBI official said.
Chinese hackers used a ‘range of sophisticated methods’ to breach US telecom providers, insider says
Salt Typhoon deployed various methods to break into telecommunications firms that went far beyond a singular run-of-the-mill credential-stealing attempt, according to a person familiar.
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White House convened telecom leaders as details of Chinese espionage hack unfold
Many of the breached systems were not properly equipped with tools that recorded network activity, making it harder to quickly trace the origins of the hack, a person familiar said.
FCC leaders skirt call for wiretap security reform, hope to ‘go deeper’ on telecom breach briefings
Lawmakers have called on the agency to take up a rulemaking to rethink wiretapping laws amid the hacks that have ensnared several telecom companies, but top FCC officials have not signaled any forthcoming action yet.
Intelligence community briefed Congress on Chinese telecom intrusions
It’s believed the hackers, dubbed Salt Typhoon, accessed call records on numerous Americans, including officials and staff affiliated with President-elect Trump.
Chinese telecom breaches won’t sway election outcomes, CISA chief says
The top U.S. cyber defense agency has seen “no evidence of activity that has the potential to materially impact the outcome of the presidential election,” Jen Easterly said Monday.
DHS cyber review board to investigate Chinese hack of US telecoms as victim net widens
U.S. government officials and staff on both major presidential campaigns were targeted. One former intelligence official called the breaches “really concerning.”
It’s time to rethink how wiretaps work after Chinese hack, experts say
The FCC sought a briefing from national security officials about the infiltration that was reported last Friday, according to a person familiar with the matter.
T-Mobile to pay fines, pledges to up upgrade cybersecurity after repeat data breaches
The telecom giant will pay $15.75 million to the Department of Treasury and front an additional $15.75 million for cybersecurity improvements and compliance.
FCC to vote on georouting for suicide and crisis lifeline calls
The FCC plans to vote on rules during its Oct. 17 open meeting that would require all U.S. wireless carriers to implement georouting for calls to the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
