Salt Typhoon’ Cyberattack May Have Stolen Data From Nearly Every American

Nation-State Threat Analysis

In a highly unusual joint statement, security officials from the United States and multiple allied nations have detailed a sweeping, yearslong cyberattack attributed to a Chinese state-sponsored group known as “Salt Typhoon.” The campaign is being described as China’s most ambitious cyber-operation to date, having infiltrated major telecommunications companies and other critical infrastructure in more than 80 countries. Officials have warned that the stolen data is so extensive that information from nearly every American may have been compromised.  

The coordinated assault was described by officials as “unrestrained” and “indiscriminate.” Investigators have concluded that the primary goal of the operation was to provide Chinese intelligence services with the capability to exploit global communication networks to track targets, including politicians, spies, and activists. This operation, which officials state has been active since at least 2019, marks a significant evolution in the scale and sophistication of nation-state cyberespionage.  

Key Cybersecurity Insights

The disclosure of the Salt Typhoon campaign reveals several critical insights into the modern threat landscape:

• A New Era of Chinese Cyber Capabilities: Security experts note that this campaign marks a “new chapter” in China’s cyber operations. Unlike earlier attacks that focused on theft of trade secrets, this operation was characterized by a high level of technical sophistication, patience, and persistence, with attackers burrowing deep into the critical infrastructure of their targets.  
• The Goal is Global Tracking and Surveillance: The primary objective, according to the joint statement, was to give Chinese officials the ability to “identify and track their targets’ communications and movements around the world.” By compromising telecommunications and internet service providers, the attackers could potentially listen in on phone calls and read unencrypted text messages.  
• “Unrestrained” Data Collection: While the ultimate goal may have been to track specific high-value targets, the attack was described as “indiscriminate,” meaning the data of ordinary citizens was swept up on a massive scale. A former top FBI official stated, “I can’t imagine any American was spared given the breadth of the campaign.”  

Strategic Recommendations

The scale and nature of the Salt Typhoon attack necessitate a strategic shift in defensive thinking for nations and corporations:

• Prioritize the Security of Critical Infrastructure: The attackers specifically targeted telecommunications, government, transportation, and military infrastructure. This is a critical wake-up call for all critical infrastructure providers to harden their defenses, hunt for persistent threats, and assume they are a primary target for nation-state actors.
• Assume Personal Data is Compromised: If the data of “nearly every American” has been stolen, organizations must evolve their security models. Basic PII can no longer be considered a secure method for identity verification. Stronger authentication methods, such as Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), are no longer optional, but essential.  
• Strengthen International Threat Intelligence Sharing: The joint statement itself is a model for effective collective defense. Continued and deepened collaboration between allied nations to share intelligence on the tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) of state-sponsored groups like Salt Typhoon is crucial to detecting and mitigating these widespread campaigns.

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