Trump, Vance potential targets in broad China-backed hacking operation

Federal authorities judge China-backed cybercriminals whitethorn person attempted to pat into phones aliases networks utilized by erstwhile President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance, aggregate sources acquainted pinch nan matter confirmed to CBS News. Officials are concerned nan hackers could person infiltrated telecommunication systems and past targeted nan candidates, nan sources said.

The breadth of nan imaginable cyber cognition and what accusation nan alleged hackers mightiness person compromised remains unclear. The sources said nan run was precocious alerted that phones utilized by nan candidates whitethorn person been among nan targets of a cyber campaign.

The news was first reported by nan New York Times.

The Justice Department and nan FBI declined to comment. The Trump run declined a petition for remark by CBS News. 

A root acquainted pinch nan investigation told CBS News nan imaginable targeting of Trump and Vance was portion of a wide cyber onslaught that targeted officials from some awesome governmental parties and rule enforcement precocious notified imaginable victims. Law enforcement is presently treating nan hack arsenic an enactment of espionage, not arsenic an effort astatine run influence, different root said. 

In:
• JD Vance
• Donald Trump
• China