Chinese Hackers Breach US House Committee Staff Emails

Chinese state-sponsored hackers known as Salt Typhoon have compromised email systems used by staffers on several key committees in the US House of Representatives, according to individuals familiar with the matter. The intrusions, detected in December, targeted aides working on panels related to China policy, foreign affairs, intelligence, and armed services, marking a significant escalation in cyber espionage efforts against US legislative operations.

The breaches were first identified as part of the ongoing Salt Typhoon campaign, which US officials attribute to China's Ministry of State Security. People with knowledge of the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity due to its early stage, indicated that the hackers gained access to communications that could reveal insights into legislative planning and policy development. It remains unclear whether the attackers obtained emails from elected lawmakers or succeeded in exfiltrating data from the staffers' accounts. The Federal Bureau of Investigation and the White House have declined to comment publicly, while offices of the affected committees did not immediately respond to inquiries.