Digital intruders from China have successfully breached the email systems of the US Congress, sparking urgent concerns on Capitol Hill.
This sophisticated intrusion highlights the growing vulnerabilities within the private communications of government officials. As investigators assess the damage, the incident serves as a stark reminder of the persistent cyber threats facing national security.
A report from the Financial Times reveals that a widespread digital spying operation, dubbed 'Salt Typhoon', saw Chinese actors compromise email accounts belonging to aides on influential US House of Representatives committees.
Sources close to the investigation state that Chinese spies successfully accessed the email networks of staff serving on the House China committee, as well as those supporting the foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services panels. These security breaches were first identified in December.
High-Stakes Targets: Why Key House Panels Were Hit
These strikes represent the most recent phase of a continuous digital offensive by the Ministry of State Security, China's intelligence agency, targeting American telecommunications infrastructure. An individual with knowledge of the matter noted that investigators have not yet determined whether the agency successfully reached the private correspondence of the legislators themselves.
For several years, the Ministry of State Security has maintained the Salt Typhoon operation. This programme grants Beijing the ability to intercept the unencrypted voice calls, text messages, and recordings of nearly all US citizens, while occasionally providing a gateway into email inboxes.
🚨🇨🇳🇺🇸 BREAKING — Epstein Files Hacked?
— ★★★★★ Pamphlets ★★★★★ (@PamphletsY) January 8, 2026
Elite Chinese Hackers ¨Salt Typhoon¨ Previously Humilliated the US National Guard.
Now They Hacked the US Congress... pic.twitter.com/EByP351Ttd
Those with knowledge of the operation reported that 'Salt Typhoon' has successfully monitored the telephone conversations of high-ranking American government figures throughout the last two years.
Last December, the leading Democrat on the Senate Intelligence Committee, Mark Warner, expressed his disbelief that the Salt Typhoon operation had not garnered more public scrutiny. Speaking to the Defense Writers Group, Warner warned that without the use of encrypted hardware, any individual remains a potential target for these hackers.
Following his departure from the White House, the national security adviser to former President Joe Biden, Jake Sullivan, informed the Financial Times last year that American telecommunications firms remained 'highly vulnerable' to the Salt Typhoon threat.
This operation is just one of numerous digital spying initiatives launched by China's intelligence services and the People's Liberation Army to compromise American infrastructure, per FT.
Cost vs Security: Why US Telecoms Remain Exposed
American authorities, including the FBI, revealed in 2024 that a Beijing-backed group known as 'Volt Typhoon' had successfully infiltrated US power, transit, and telecom networks. These breaches were reportedly designed to provide China with a strategic advantage should a military or political confrontation arise between the two nations.
American telecommunications firms have made minimal progress in defending against Salt Typhoon due to the massive financial burden of strengthening network resilience. Last December, Warner noted that domestic infrastructure is especially at risk because it was established during an era when digital security was not considered a critical priority.
Although the US Treasury intended to penalise MSS organisations in December for their role in Salt Typhoon, these plans were abandoned due to fears that such a move might jeopardise the diplomatic truce established by Presidents Donald Trump and Xi Jinping in October.
All four targeted panels declined to provide a statement on the matter. Meanwhile, China's embassy in Washington rejected the Salt Typhoon claims, with spokesperson Liu Pengyu stating that 'We firmly oppose the US side making unfounded speculation and accusations, using cyber security to smear and slander China, and spreading all kinds of disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats.'
