Chinese hackers reportedly targeted phones connected to Kamala Harris’s campaign, a source familiar with the matter revealed on Friday. Hackers accessed Verizon’s network to target devices associated with individuals supporting the Democratic presidential candidate. Media reports also indicated that phones linked to Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, may have been compromised. Investigators are currently examining the scope of information accessed, if any, related to Trump and Vance.
The New York Times reported that Trump’s campaign was notified this week about potential targeting of phones belonging to Trump and Vance, along with other government and non-government individuals through the breach of Verizon’s phone systems. However, Trump’s campaign did not officially confirm that the two candidates’ devices were compromised. Steven Cheung, the campaign’s communications director, commented on the broader geopolitical implications, stating that Vice President Harris has emboldened China and Iran to target U.S. infrastructure in an effort to prevent Trump from regaining office.
While not directly addressing the incident, the Chinese embassy in Washington reaffirmed China’s opposition to all cyberattacks, asserting that Beijing has no intention of interfering in U.S. elections. The Harris campaign did not immediately respond to requests for comment on the matter.
Earlier this year, the Trump campaign fell victim to another hack, attributed to Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps, aimed at disrupting the upcoming November 5 election. The U.S. Justice Department has since filed charges against three members of the Iranian corps in connection with that incident.
The FBI and the U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency jointly announced on Friday that they are investigating unauthorized access to commercial telecom infrastructure, linking it to individuals associated with China. Verizon has acknowledged a sophisticated attempt to infiltrate U.S. telecommunications and gather intelligence.
Featured image courtesy of Tech Wire Asia
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