Reports: Chinese Hack of U.S. Wiretapping Systems

An American newspaper reported that Chinese cyber hackers gained access to U.S. broadband service providers’ networks and obtained information from systems used by the U.S. government for wiretapping phone conversations, following court-approved requests.

The Wall Street Journal reported Saturday, citing sources, that Verizon Communications and Lumen Technologies were among the telecom companies whose networks were hacked, with the breach discovered recently.

The hackers may have had months-long access to the network infrastructure these companies use to cooperate with U.S. court-authorized requests for communications data, and they also managed to breach other internet-based systems.

China’s Foreign Ministry responded Sunday, stating that it was unaware of the attack mentioned in the report but noted that the U.S. had previously “fabricated false claims” accusing China of cyberattacks.

The ministry’s statement added, “At a time when cybersecurity has become a common challenge for all countries around the world, such an erroneous approach will only hinder international efforts to address the challenge through dialogue and cooperation,” according to Reuters.

Beijing has denied past U.S. government allegations and others that it used cyber hackers to infiltrate foreign computer systems.

According to Reuters, Verizon Communications and Lumen Technologies did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The Wall Street Journal said the Chinese hacker group carried out the attack to gather intelligence.