White House Meets with Telecom Executives Over Historic Cybersecurity Breach

National security advisers from the Biden administration convened a high-level meeting with executives from major telecommunications companies on Friday to address what has been described as the most severe cybersecurity breach in U.S. history. The meeting, led by National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan and Deputy National Security Adviser Anne Neuberger, aimed to bolster collaboration between the government and the private sector to prevent future attacks.

Earlier this month, U.S. authorities linked the breach to a Chinese state-affiliated hacking group known as ‘Salt Typhoon.’ The group allegedly intercepted surveillance data stored by telecom providers for American law enforcement agencies. Hackers reportedly accessed text messages, audio from calls, and sensitive records during a months-long operation. Senator Mark Warner, chairman of the Senate Intelligence Committee, described the incident as the “worst telecom hack in our nation’s history – by far.”

The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) issued a joint statement on November 13, attributing the attack to Chinese actors. The agencies acknowledged that compromised networks enabled hackers to steal customer call records, private communications of individuals involved in government and political activities, and court-ordered surveillance data.

Fewer than 150 individuals have been notified of the breach, primarily in the Washington, D.C., area. However, the interconnected nature of communications suggests the number of records accessed may be significantly higher. Among those affected is an adviser to President-elect Donald Trump’s campaign, according to a Washington Post report. It remains unclear if the adviser’s data was also linked to U.S. law enforcement surveillance requests.

The White House characterized Friday’s meeting as an opportunity to gather insights from the telecommunications sector on how the government can assist in countering nation-state cyber threats. While details of the attendees were not disclosed, the administration emphasized the importance of public-private cooperation in securing critical infrastructure.

Beijing has denied the allegations, with the Chinese Embassy in Washington dismissing them as baseless and accusing the U.S. of fabricating evidence to tarnish China’s reputation. The breach has intensified concerns over the vulnerability of data collected for surveillance purposes and the broader security of critical communications networks.