AT&T and Verizon Confirm Salt Typhoon Hack Resolved

AT&T and Verizon have declared their networks secure after addressing a breach by Salt Typhoon, a hacking operation linked to China. Both telecom giants stated the attack aimed to gather foreign intelligence, with Verizon noting it targeted ‘a small number of high-profile customers in government and politics.’

The breach, reportedly impacting several telecom companies, was confirmed by the White House, but affected firms were not named. Independent cybersecurity firms have validated Verizon’s containment efforts, while AT&T emphasized there is no current activity from nation-state actors on their networks. Both companies are cooperating with authorities and notifying affected individuals.

Salt Typhoon, identified by Microsoft researchers, allegedly compromised systems handling sensitive government wiretapping requests. T-Mobile also detected suspicious activity consistent with the group but prevented access to customer data. Despite these efforts, U.S. officials acknowledge the challenge of eradicating such threats nationwide and are collaborating with telecom executives, including AT&T CEO John Stankey, to address vulnerabilities.

China denies involvement, and the Biden administration recently convened industry leaders to explore cybersecurity solutions, highlighting the severity of the threat.