China-U.S. Cyber Clash: Hackers Breach Telecom Networks

Chinese hackers infiltrated U.S. telecom networks, gaining access to systems used for court-authorized wiretapping, as reported by the Wall Street Journal. Companies like Verizon and AT&T were victims of the breach occurring over months. China refuted these claims, attributing blame to the U.S. for creating false narratives.

The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that Chinese hackers had infiltrated the networks of U.S. broadband providers, accessing information from federal government systems used for court-authorized wiretapping.

According to insiders cited by the Journal, Verizon Communications, AT&T, and Lumen Technologies were among the telecom companies affected by the breach, with hackers potentially maintaining access for months. These hackers are believed to have aimed at collecting intelligence by tapping into both court-authorized data and other internet traffic streams.

China's foreign ministry, in response, denied awareness of the attack and accused the U.S. of framing China through false narratives. Despite the denial from Beijing, U.S. investigators remain vigilant, having previously disrupted another Chinese hacking group rumored to have international ties.

(With inputs from agencies.)