Chinese hackers targeted Trump and Vance’s phone data

CNN —

Chinese government-linked hackers have targeted the phone communications of former President Donald Trump and vice presidential nominee JD Vance as part of a much broader cyber-espionage effort aimed at high-level US targets, two sources familiar with the matter told CNN.

The Chinese hackers also targeted people affiliated with the Harris-Walz campaign, another source familiar with the matter told CNN. Senior Biden administration officials were also targeted, one of the sources said.

US officials informed the Trump campaign this week that Trump and Vance were among a group of people whose phones were targeted by the Chinese hackers, one of the sources said. In a statement, Trump campaign spokesperson Steven Cheung attacked the Harris campaign for allegedly emboldening China.

It was not immediately clear what data, if any, the hackers were able to access. Phone communications of current and former seniorUS officials are coveted by foreign spies.

“The U.S. Government is investigating the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China,” the FBI and the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) said in a statement on Friday.

After the FBI identified the hacking targeting telecommunication firms, the FBI and CISA “immediately notified affected companies, rendered technical assistance, and rapidly shared information to assist other potential victims,” the statement continued, adding that the investigation was ongoing.

The New York Times first reported on the hacking targeting Trump and Vance’s phones.

The activity is part of a much broader Chinese hacking campaign that has infiltrated multiple US telecommunications firms