"China Hacking Group Attacks Telecom Companies to Target U.S. Government's Intercept System"

Cyber-attacks linked to the Chinese government have infiltrated several networks of U.S. telecommunications companies, possibly allowing hackers to gain access to the U.S. federal government's legal wiretapping system, the Wall Street Journal reported.

The hackers may have had access to U.S. network infrastructure for months or longer, sources said, and AT&T, Verizon and Lumen Technologies were among the companies that had network intrusions.

The Wall Street Journal said the cyberattack was the work of a Chinese hacking group nicknamed "Salt Typhoon."

The surveillance system in question is a network to cooperate with domestic intelligence requests related to crime or national security investigations, and U.S. federal law requires telecommunications companies to allow authorities to eavesdrop on court orders.

The cyberattack was confirmed in recent weeks and the U.S. government is still investigating the case.

A source familiar with the attack said the U.S. government considers the incident historically significant and concerning.

Western governments and technology companies have said China is using hackers to break into foreign government and corporate computer networks. China continues to deny these claims.

Again, a spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in the United States said in a statement: "China is firmly opposed to all forms of cyberattacks and cyber theft and is fighting to prevent them."