by Misty Severi
The FBI and the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on Friday announced an investigation into a Chinese cyber-espionage effort that reportedly includes hacking the phones of former President Donald Trump and his running mate JD Vance.
The incident is believed to be part of a larger operation aimed at high-level U.S. targets, according to CNN. The hackers have also targeted members of the Biden administration, though the identities of the Biden officials have not been disclosed.
“The U.S. Government is investigating the unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China,” the FBI and CISA said in a statement.
It is not clear what information the hackers were able to obtain, but investigators believe the hackers are searching for sensitive national security information, per CNN. However, in this case, it does not appear the hackers were searching Trump’s and Vance’s phones for information related to American law enforcement activity.
The incident comes after Microsoft discovered on Wednesday that multiple Chinese controlled social media bots are attempting to influence the United States elections by targeting Republican lawmakers. The bots are operated by the Chinese group Taizi Flood, which has been associated in the past with China’s Ministry of Public Security.
The investigation also comes after the U.S. intelligence community warned of increased interference from Russia, China and Iran surrounding U.S. elections. The IC said Iran is trying to stoke discord and undermine confidence in the electoral process, and that China and Russia are trying to “exacerbate” division.
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Misty Severi is a reporter for Just the News.
Photo “Donald Trump and JD Vance” by Daniel Scavino Jr.
