Chinese hackers ‘target Trump and Vance mobile phones’

Chinese hackers have reportedly set their sights on mobile phones linked to Donald Trump, the Republican presidential nominee, and his running mate JD Vance, as well as on individuals associated with the Democratic campaign of Kamala Harris, according to sources familiar with the issue. While the FBI has not confirmed specific individuals as targets, it did announce an investigation into unauthorized access to US telecommunications infrastructure allegedly conducted by individuals affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.

In a statement, the FBI emphasized that multiple US government agencies are working in coordination to mitigate the threat and to bolster cybersecurity across commercial communications networks through partnerships with industry. The New York Times initially reported on the potential targeting of Trump and Vance, citing that campaign officials were briefed by US authorities on the issue earlier this week.

US officials believe this is part of a broader cyber-espionage campaign from China aimed at infiltrating communications and collecting sensitive data. Over the past year, the FBI has frequently cautioned about Chinese cyber activities. FBI Director Chris Wray reported to Congress in January that the agency disrupted a state-backed hacking operation known as Volt Typhoon. This operation focused on small office and home routers across the United States, ultimately targeting critical infrastructure like water systems, power grids, and transportation.

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Additionally, the FBI recently intervened in another alleged Chinese government hacking campaign that installed malware on over 200,000 consumer devices, including home routers, cameras, and video recorders.

A representative from the Chinese embassy in Washington responded to the allegations, stating that they were not aware of the specific details but reiterated that China itself is a victim of cyberattacks and opposes such activities. The spokesperson also stated that China has no interest in interfering in US domestic elections and urged the US to refrain from blaming China in the electoral context.

Meanwhile, Steven Cheung, a spokesperson for Trump’s campaign, did not confirm specifics of the alleged Chinese activities but accused the Harris campaign of indirectly emboldening foreign adversaries, including China and Iran, with their policies.

Separately, The Wall Street Journal recently reported that Chinese hackers had potentially gained access to networks of US broadband providers, possibly compromising systems used by law enforcement for wiretapping requests, further highlighting the potential scale of Chinese cyber activities in US infrastructure.