Know what is China’s ‘pocket attack’ that created panic in the American government? Why are restrictions being imposed on our own people?
World News Desk!! America’s nervousness has started increasing due to China’s ‘pocket attacks’, the situation is such that the federal agency is now having to impose restrictions on its own people. In fact, a central agency of America has issued instructions to its employees to reduce the use of phones for official work. People close to the matter say this is because China has recently targeted US telecommunications infrastructure.
In an email sent to employees on Thursday, the Chief Information Officer (CIO) of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) warned that internal and external work-related meetings and conversations that involve non-public data can only be accessed through Microsoft Teams and Cisco. Only this should be done. On platforms like WebEx, not on mobile phones.
China’s cyber attack on America!
“The CFPB does not use mobile voice calls or text messages to conduct its work, even though there is no evidence of this,” the email said, referring to a recent government statement acknowledging China’s cyberattacks on U.S. telecommunications infrastructure. That the CFPB has been targeted.” This hack. But I ask you to strictly follow these instructions so we can minimize this risk.” This email was sent to all CFPB employees and contractors.
Accusations against China’s ‘Salt Typhoon’ group
The alert reflects the government’s concerns about the scale and scope of the hack, which investigators are still trying to fully understand. Officials believe that a Chinese group named ‘Salt Typhoon’ is responsible for this hacking. According to reports, this Chinese cyber espionage group attacked the internet profiles of many candidates related to the US presidential election. It is alleged that hackers have recorded the audio of the phones of many people including Donald Trump, Kamala Harris and have also obtained the data of call details.
American officials are afraid of using phones
While it’s unclear whether other federal agencies have taken action or plan to take action, several U.S. officials have already reduced their phone use because of the hack, according to a former official in The Wall Street Journal. According to the report, a former officer says, ‘I usually hesitate to use my phone.’ US agencies and many companies often send cybersecurity tips and reminders to employees. But a government agency’s directive to avoid using phones in response to a specific threat is inconsistent. The government agency’s directive reflects the level of concern among investigators about the seriousness of targeting telecommunications companies, including Verizon and AT&T.
Dozens of officers are feared to be targeted
The alert also says employees should not make calls on cellphones, even if they are using another communication platform such as Microsoft Teams. According to a report in The Wall Street Journal, US investigators believe that hackers linked to a Chinese intelligence agency are responsible for such breaches and have targeted at least several dozen senior national security and intelligence officials in the US government, in addition to political figures. Policy officers have been targeted. With the access the hackers had, they were able to collect call logs, unencrypted text, and some audio from potentially thousands of Americans and others with whom the targeted individuals had interacted.
