Trump and Vance’s phone records were allegedly compromised by the Chinese cyber group

Chinese hackers have reportedly infiltrated communications networks, targeting phone data Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R-Ohio).

What happened: The breach, believed to be the work of a group called Salt Typhoon, has raised national security concerns amid the 2024 presidential campaign. The New York Times rEPORTS hackers aimed to access metadata from calls and messages without obtaining the content.

The Trump campaign was recently informed that their lines of communication had been compromised, with initial findings indicating potential surveillance of call logs and messaging patterns.

Officials did not determine the full scope of the data accessed or the length of the infiltration, but confirmed that the breach extended beyond campaign-related targets to include other high-profile government figures, The Times reported.

Why it matters: Experts warn that even if the content of calls or messages has not been accessed, the ability to monitor communication patterns can provide critical information to hostile actors. Such information could be used in the final stages of the 2024 election to undermine the campaign or its allies.

Earlier, the Trump campaign faced another cybersecurity challenge when Iranian hackers breached his communicationssharing confidential data with a freelance journalist Ken Klippenstein. The journalist published the materials on the social media platform Xwhich is owned by Elon Musk.

In response, X suspended Klippenstein’s account and restricted access to Substack’s links for posting “unredacted private information” about Vance. This action has drawn criticism from MPs, Rep. Dan Goldman (DN.Y.) suggesting possible hearings regarding collaboration between the campaign and X.

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This content was produced in part using AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.