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In yet another chapter of the strained relationship between China and the United States, a recent revelation on Sunday has brought to light a cyberattack allegedly orchestrated by Chinese state-sponsored hackers. This breach has potentially impacted a wide swath of Americans, ranging from former President Trump to everyday citizens across the country.
The attack was not only daring but meticulously crafted and carried out, with indications that it might still be in progress. Such a sophisticated operation would have required approval from the upper echelons of the Chinese government, specifically the Chinese Communist Party, marking it as a distinctly hostile maneuver.
Unfortunately, this incident is not the first of its kind attributed to China in recent months, highlighting a concerning pattern of cyber incursions that continue to strain diplomatic ties.
A former FBI official claims that it’s likely every American has been impacted by a Chinese-state-sponsored cyberattack.
International law enforcement agencies, including the FBI and National Security Agency, issued a joint advisory in September warning the public that CCP-sponsored actors are “targeting” many aspects of American lives, including telecommunications, government, transportation, lodging and military infrastructure networks.
The cyberattack wasn’t limited to the U.S. and targeted many countries around the globe, according to the advisory. According to the international agencies, the three Chinese companies believed to be behind Salt Typhoon work for China’s intelligence services, which include units in the People’s Liberation Army and Ministry of State Security.
So, this would be a cyber-attack conceived and approved at the very highest levels of the Chinese government; that is to say, the Chinese Communist Party. And this is a manifestly unfriendly act.
This isn’t the first such incursion linked to China in recent months.