Donald Trump and JD Vance potential targets of China’s cyber attack

US authorities say cybercriminals linked to China may have tried to access the phones or networks used by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Senator JD Vance, a number of sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the BBC’s news partner in USA, CBS News. .

The sources said the Trump-Vance campaign was alerted that the phones used by Trump and Vance may have been among the targets of a larger cyber attack.

An official from both major political parties is believed to have been targeted, a source told CBS.

It’s unclear how much information, if any, may have been compromised.

The Justice Department and the FBI declined to comment on whether the candidates were targeted.

A joint statement from the FBI and the National Security Infrastructure Agency (CISA) said the US government was investigating “unauthorized access to commercial telecommunications infrastructure by actors affiliated with the People’s Republic of China.”

They said that after the “malicious activity” was identified, the agencies “immediately notified affected companies, provided technical support and quickly shared information to help other potential victims,” ​​adding that the investigation was ongoing.

“Agencies across the U.S. government are working together to aggressively mitigate this threat and are coordinating with our industry partners to strengthen cyber defenses in the commercial communications sector,” they added.

The Trump campaign blamed Democrats for the hack, claiming without evidence that it was an attempt “to prevent President Trump from returning to the White House.”

The Wall Street Journal said people affiliated with the Harris-Walz campaign were also targeted, citing a source familiar with the matter.

Law enforcement officials are currently treating the hack as an act of espionage, not an attempt to influence the campaign, a source told CBS.