A ninth U.S. telecommunications company has fallen victim to a Chinese espionage campaign, according to the White House. This operation, dubbed Salt Typhoon, has granted Chinese officials access to the private communications of Americans, including text messages and phone conversations. Earlier this month, the Biden administration revealed that at least eight telecom companies and dozens of nations had been affected. Deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger announced the ninth victim on Friday, following the release of government guidance to companies on identifying Chinese hackers within their systems.

The hackers infiltrated telecom networks to collect customer call records and access private communications of specific individuals. While the FBI has not disclosed the identities of the victims, officials suspect that high-ranking U.S. government officials and prominent political figures are among those whose communications were compromised. The exact number of Americans targeted remains unclear due to the hackers' cautious approach. However, a significant number of victims are believed to be located in Washington, D.C., and Virginia.

The hackers' primary objective appears to be identifying device owners and spying on their texts and calls if they were considered "government targets of interest." The FBI has confirmed that most victims are primarily involved in government or political activity.

This incident underscores the need for mandatory cybersecurity measures in the telecommunications sector, a topic the Federal Communications Commission will address in a meeting next month. The government is also planning further actions in response to the hacking campaign, although specific details have not been released. Neuberger emphasized the inadequacy of voluntary cybersecurity practices in protecting critical infrastructure from hacking by nations like China, Russia, and Iran. The Chinese government has denied involvement in the campaign.