FBI labels suspected China hack of law enforcement data ‘a major cyber incident’
FBI labels suspected China hack of law enforcement data ‘a major cyber incident’
Publish Date: 2026-04-02 20:39:00
Source Domain: www.nbcnews.com
The FBI has labeled a suspected Chinese cyber intrusion into a government surveillance system a “major incident” that poses risks to U.S. national security, according to a senior law enforcement official and a source with knowledge of the matter.
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The hack compromised sensitive information related to domestic law enforcement, the sources said, and the FBI recently informed lawmakers about it.
The revelation suggested a significant U.S. counterintelligence failure amid repeated hacking operations by China-linked actors in recent years that have penetrated critical infrastructure and telecommunications firms, former officials said.
The FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency declined to comment.
The declaration by the FBI of a major cyber incident was first reported by Politico.
Under federal data security laws, a cyber breach is declared a “major incident” only if it involves the compromise of personally identifiable information that could cause “demonstrable harm” to national security interests, foreign relations, the economy, civil liberties or the public health of Americans.”
The cyber intrusion appeared to use similar tactics and techniques employed by a Chinese hacking effort known as Salt Typhoon, which penetrated major telecommunications providers in an unprecedented breach, according to the source with knowledge of the matter.
The hackers in Salt Typhoon, which was uncovered in 2024, were able to obtain phone call records from millions of Americans and steal FBI wiretap data.
The Salt Typhoon hacking campaign was one of the largest intelligence compromises in American history. It breached eight domestic telecom and internet service providers and dozens of others around the world. U.S. officials said in 2024 that victims included people in both major parties’ presidential campaigns.
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