Salt Typhoon: Espionage Storm Hits U.S. Congress

Chinese hacking group Salt Typhoon has breached emails of U.S. House committee staffers, including those in foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services. Although the specific targets remain unidentified, this attack highlights the ongoing cyberespionage threat to U.S. lawmakers, intensifying tensions between Washington and Beijing.

A Chinese hacking group, known as Salt Typhoon, has successfully breached emails used by staffers of several influential U.S. House committees. According to a report in the Financial Times, the hack compromised the communication systems of committees dealing with foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services.

Officials are scrambling for details as the intrusion reportedly went undetected until December. Despite the severity of the breach, the Chinese Embassy dismissed the allegations as "unfounded speculation," while the FBI has remained silent on the issue.

This latest cyberespionage episode underscores the persistent threat posed by foreign entities to American political institutions. Prior incidents have shown that hacker groups continually target congressional operations, reflecting the broader geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and China.

(With inputs from agencies.)