Trump and Harris campaign against possible targets of Chinese hackers

The FBI identified “specific malicious activity targeting the industry,” followed by the bureau and CISA “notifying affected companies, providing technical assistance and quickly sharing information to help other potential victims,” according to a statement from both agencies .

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Two of the targets are said to be former presidents Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance (R-OH), according to the New York Times. This week, the campaign was informed that it was among those targeted through the infiltration of Verizon phone systems. People associated with the Harris campaign were also targeted, the newspaper said Wall Street Journal.

The Trump campaign accused the Biden-Harris administration of encouraging American adversaries.

“This is the continuation of election meddling by Kamala Harris and the Democrats who will stop at nothing, including encouraging China and Iran, attacking critical US infrastructure to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House. Their dangerous and violent rhetoric has given license to those who wish to harm President Trump,” Trump campaign communications director Steven Cheung told the newspaper. Washington Examiner.

“They have now stood by and allowed major foreign adversaries to attack us to help Kamala illegally because they know she represents a weak American who will always bow down,” he added. “While President Trump will actually take action against our enemies and defend the United States against all aggression.”

Authorities are trying to determine what, if any, communications data the group may have obtained from the hack. The details of who a president (if Trump were to win next month’s election) talks to, for how long and how often, could be useful information for adversaries looking to target specific individuals for influence operations.

“We are aware that a highly sophisticated nation-state actor has reportedly targeted several U.S. telecommunications providers for intelligence gathering purposes,” a Verizon spokesperson said in a press release. statement to CBS. “We are working with colleagues from the federal law enforcement sector and external cyber experts to confirm, assess and remediate any potential impacts. Verizon is committed to assisting law enforcement in this investigation.”

FBI Director Christopher Wray previously warned American lawmakers about this Chinese hackers targeted U.S. power grids and other infrastructure.

“Chinese hackers are positioning themselves on U.S. infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and inflict real harm on U.S. citizens and communities if or when China decides it is time to strike,” Wray said in his opening remarks for the US government. House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party in January.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence has assessed that Beijing is not trying to influence the election by pushing stories, misinformation and disinformation to boost one candidate, but is trying to influence public opinion in its favor .

Iranian hackers have also targeted the Trump campaign, the FBI, ODNI and CISA said in August.

“The IC is confident that the Iranians, through social engineering and other efforts, have sought access to individuals with direct access to the presidential campaigns of both political parties,” the agencies said at the time. “Such activities, including thefts and exposés, are intended to influence the U.S. election process.”

The US intelligence community has issued several warnings about Chinese, Iranian and Russian attempts to interfere in the 2024 presidential election and sow further divisions among Americans.

In a recent example Russian disinformation actors were responsible for a video that went viral on social media alleging that Governor Tim Walz (D-MN), Democratic vice presidential candidate, had an inappropriate relationship with a student years ago, said an official from the Office of the Director of the national intelligence service.

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The official also warned that the intelligence community believes these actors will attempt to sow division on and immediately after Election Day, depending on what happens, to stoke tensions and possible violence.

“The intelligence community believes that foreign actors are very likely to conduct information operations in the period after the elections end to create uncertainty and attempt to undermine the legitimacy of the electoral process,” the official told reporters, later adding admitted: “Iran and Russia are likely willing to at least consider tactics that could contribute to such violence.”