Salt Typhoon's fallout is far from over

If it feels like every week brings news about hacking and cyber threats, this one stands out — and it affects nearly everyone. Salt Typhoon is the name given to a massive, years-long Chinese cyber operation that quietly broke into major US telecommunications companies and others around the world.

After a year of investigation, experts and officials have concluded that the Salt Typhoon is China’s most extensive operation to date. Spanning more than 80 countries, the campaign may have compromised data belonging to the vast majority of Americans.

This massive breach allows Chinese intelligence services to track communications and movements of individuals worldwide, including politicians, activists and ordinary citizens. With this kind of access, China can track conversations, identify networks of people, and potentially interfere or exert influence covertly (for instance, disrupt activists organising protests)

How did they succeed?

The Salt Typhoon penetrated the core infrastructure of major telecommunications companies; the very networks that carry calls, texts and data for millions of people. That means the information flowing through those networks — phone calls, messages, even travel records — could be intercepted and tracked without individuals’ knowledge.

What does this mean for the person paying a bill online in Dallas or sharing family photos from Berlin? It means the digital doors many assume are locked are surprisingly easy for skilled attackers to open.

And when telecom companies are compromised, personal privacy and public safety are put on the line. These networks support emergency services, transportation, and even energy grids. A breach can ripple out, affecting the entire community.

These attacks exploited vulnerabilities that have been known but left unpatched for years, and therefore reflect a gap in how critical infrastructure handles cybersecurity. This gap puts everyone at risk — not because individuals did something wrong, but because the systems haven’t kept pace with evolving threats.

The good news is there are steps to take. Telecom companies, regulators and governments must work together faster and smarter to fix these weaknesses and share information about threats in real time.

Consumers can also take simple but important steps to protect themselves. Use messaging apps that encrypt conversations so no one else can read them. Create strong, unique passwords for every account. Avoid using the same password across sites.

Also, keep devices, software and apps updated with the latest security patches to close known vulnerabilities hackers could exploit. These actions make it much harder for attackers to access personal data and provide an extra layer of protection against widespread threats.

Salt Typhoon is proof that cybersecurity matters not just to experts or politicians but to everyone who uses a phone or internet service. Personal data gets caught in these broad campaigns whether one’s a public figure or a regular citizen. Protecting the networks that carry this data is essential if one doesn’t want their daily life, economic stability, and privacy disrupted.

*Mantas Sabeckis is a security researcher at Cybernews, specialising in identifying data leaks, detecting vulnerabilities, and enhancing the security of AI systems. With a strong commitment to responsible disclosure, he collaborates with both large corporations and small organisations to help them address security issues before they can be exploited. His work centres on understanding how sensitive data is exposed and sharing insights that contribute to stronger cybersecurity practices.

Image credit: iStock.com/vchal