Chinese computer hackers attack and access cell phones of Trump, JD Vance and Harris campaign staff
Chinese computer hackers attacked cell phones used by Donald Trump and his number two candidate, JD Vance, says newspaper “The New York Times”. People affiliated with Kamala Harris’ campaign were also targeted.
US authorities, especially the FBI, are investigating what data was collected. “Agencies across the U.S. Government are collaborating to aggressively mitigate this threat, and are coordinating with our industry partners to strengthen cyber defenses across the commercial communications sector,” the FBI said.
Hackers will have accessed the system of Verizon, the largest telecommunications company in the USA, to pirate the devices.
Trump campaign spokesman Steven Cheung did not provide any details about the Chinese operation, but issued a statement accusing Democrat Kamala Harris’ campaign of having encouraged foreign adversaries, including China and Iran.
While noting that it was not aware of the specific situation, the Chinese embassy in Washington stated that China opposes and combats cyberattacks in all their forms.
Trump’s campaign had already been the target of hacking earlier this year. The US Department of Justice has charged three members of Iran’s Revolutionary Guard Corps with similar attacks, accusing them of trying to disrupt the November 5 elections.
