US Senate call on experts to address Chinese hacking incidents

In recent weeks, the FBI has warned of a Chinese-based hacking campaign targeting US telecommunications networks. The attacks were reportedly carried out over months and in multiple instances. The incidents could have affected thousands of customers of major mobile carriers. Now, a US Senate panel will hold a hearing dedicated to addressing recent telecom hacking incidents.

The alleged hacking campaign from China on US telecommunications infrastructure

According to the FBI, the attackers targeted prominent figures in US politics or those close to them. This includes campaign staff for the recent US election. In October, the agency named carriers such as AT&T and Verizon among those that suffered data breaches. Recently, a report from The Wall Street Journal added T-Mobile to the list. The company offered an official statement saying that it has found no evidence of a breach of sensitive user data, although it remains vigilant about the situation.

Plus, last week, the FBI disclosed another potential hacking incident, also from China. The agency said the group intercepted data intended for U.S. law enforcement by exploiting certain telecommunications channels on an unknown number of carriers. In this case, the hackers may have created a backdoor into the surveillance and call interception systems used by U.S. law enforcement agencies for their investigations.

US Senate to hold hearing on hacking incidents and Elon Musk’s relationship with China

The trend of attacks by China on U.S. mobile carriers appears to be increasing, causing concern in the government. A U.S. Senate Judiciary subcommittee will convene a group of cybersecurity specialists to address the ongoing hacking campaign. The hearing, chaired by Senator Richard Blumenthal, will include names such as Adam Meyers (senior vice president of CrowdStrike), David Stehlin (Telecommunications Industry Association CEO), Isaac Stone Fish (Strategy Risks CEO), and Sam Bresnick (researcher at the Center for Security and Emerging Technology at Georgetown University).

The representatives will not only discuss the issue of the recent hacks. They will also raise their concerns about “Elon Musk’s potential conflicts of interest with China as Mr. Musk becomes increasingly involved in government affairs.” Musk maintains business relationships with China through some of his tech companies, like Tesla. According to reports, the owner of X even proposed testing Tesla’s advanced driver-assistance package in the country. The recently presented robotaxis will integrate this system.

Currently, Elon Musk’s relationship with the US government is quite direct. The new president, Donald Trump, appointed him as co-director of the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE). This department seeks to restructure agencies to cut costs and reduce unnecessary regulations.