The NSA has issued a public advisory warning that Chinese state-sponsored hackers have maintained persistent access to at least 4 major US telecommunications networks for over two years, potentially compromising millions of calls and messages.

The Threat

The group known as Salt Typhoon has embedded itself in network infrastructure at a level that allows interception of unencrypted communications. The hackers targeted government officials and defense contractors specifically.

Response

The NSA is working with telecoms to identify and remove the intrusions. Officials recommend using encrypted messaging apps like Signal for sensitive communications.