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Viasat Confirmed as Victim of Chinese Salt Typhoon Cyberespionage Campaign

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Satellite communications firm Viasat Inc has been identified as a victim of the Salt Typhoon cyberespionage operation linked to China during the 2024 U.S. presidential campaign, Bloomberg News reported on Tuesday, citing sources familiar with the investigation.

The breach was discovered earlier this year. Viasat, working alongside a government investigation and an independent cybersecurity partner, found evidence of unauthorized access through a compromised device but stated there was no evidence of customer data being affected.

“Viasat believes that the incident has been remediated and has not detected any recent activity related to this event,” the company said in a statement.

U.S. officials have previously accused Salt Typhoon hackers of breaching multiple telecom companies—including Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen—stealing sensitive telephone audio intercepts and extensive call records. In December, the government added a ninth unnamed telecom firm to the list of victims, revealing the hackers had broad network access to track millions of individuals and record phone calls.

Reportedly, Salt Typhoon targeted individuals connected to both major presidential campaigns, including those of Democrat Kamala Harris and Republican Donald Trump.

China has denied the allegations, labeling them as disinformation and asserting Beijing’s opposition to cyberattacks and cyber theft.

US Lawmakers Demand Chinese Telecoms Detail Ties to Military and Government

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The leaders of a U.S. House of Representatives panel have urged top Chinese telecom companies to provide detailed information about any connections to the Chinese military and government, citing national security concerns over their operations in the U.S. Representatives Raja Krishnamoorthi, the top Democrat on the House Select Committee on China, and Republican John Moolenaar, the committee chair, have sent letters to China Mobile, China Telecom, and China Unicom, requesting responses by March 31.

The lawmakers expressed concerns that the companies could misuse their access to U.S. data through cloud and internet services, potentially sharing sensitive information with the Chinese government. This follows a 2024 Reuters report revealing a U.S. Commerce Department investigation into these companies’ operations in the U.S. and the potential security risks they pose.

In one letter, the committee raised alarms about China Telecom’s operations, particularly its role in internet backbone exchanges and cloud computing. The lawmakers warned that such operations could facilitate unauthorized data access, espionage, or sabotage by the Chinese government. They also highlighted the companies’ documented connections to Chinese intelligence, intensifying national security concerns amid China’s increasing cyber-attacks on U.S. telecommunications infrastructure.

The letters reflect growing bipartisan concern over Chinese telecom firms’ U.S. presence, especially after significant cyber-attacks tied to Chinese state-backed groups. Two prominent cyber incidents—Salt Typhoon and Volt Typhoon—have been linked to Chinese government entities, with the latter described by the FBI as the largest cyber-espionage campaign in U.S. history. Beijing has denied any involvement in these attacks.

China Telecom, China Mobile, and China Unicom have long been under scrutiny in Washington. The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) denied China Mobile’s application to offer U.S. telecom services in 2019 and revoked China Telecom and China Unicom’s authorizations in 2021 and 2022. In 2024, the FCC moved to bar these companies from offering broadband services, but the decision was blocked by a court. Despite these regulatory actions, the companies still retain the ability to provide cloud services and handle U.S. internet traffic, thus maintaining access to Americans’ data.

Chinese Hack of U.S. Telecoms Compromised More Firms, WSJ Reports

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A Chinese cyberattack has compromised more U.S. telecom companies than previously reported, including Charter Communications (CHTR.O), Consolidated Communications (CCII.UL), and Windstream, according to a Wall Street Journal report. Hackers exploited unpatched devices from security vendor Fortinet and compromised routers from Cisco Systems (CSCO.O), infiltrating networks of major firms such as AT&T (T.N), Verizon (VZ.N), Lumen Technologies (LUMN.N), and T-Mobile (TMUS.O).

The attack, linked to the Chinese-backed Salt Typhoon cyberespionage operation, raised concerns about the scale of the breach and the vulnerability of critical infrastructure. U.S. national security adviser Jake Sullivan warned telecom and tech executives that Chinese hackers could potentially disrupt U.S. ports, power grids, and other infrastructure. The affected companies have since secured their networks and worked with law enforcement and government officials to mitigate further damage. However, the hack is a reminder of the growing risks of state-sponsored cyberattacks.