This is your Dragon's Code: America Under Cyber Siege podcast.

Hey techies, Ting here! Coming at you from my secure bunker where I've been tracking the digital battleground between the US and China. Let me break down what's been happening in this cyber chess match over the past week.

So, Salt Typhoon—the notorious Chinese hacking group—has been living up to its name, creating a perfect storm in America's digital infrastructure. They've been particularly busy targeting data centers and residential internet providers, with Digital Realty and Comcast taking significant hits. We're talking about potential access to approximately 51 million broadband customers and 8.1 million wireless users.

What makes Salt Typhoon's approach so devious is their infiltration of "lawful intercept" systems—the very tools designed to help law enforcement monitor communications. According to Senate testimony last Thursday, these hackers have maintained their foothold despite public claims of their removal. Senator Josh Hawley dropped this bombshell during a Homeland Security Committee hearing: "Foreign actors basically have unlimited access to our voice messages, to our telephone calls."

Even more concerning? President Trump, Vice President Vance, and various officials had their communications directly targeted. That's not just espionage—that's a power play.

Meanwhile, SentinelOne recently fended off another sophisticated China-linked attack attempt, only to discover the same operatives had already compromised systems globally. It's like finding one cockroach in your kitchen and realizing there's a whole colony behind the walls.

The targeting patterns suggest Beijing isn't just gathering intelligence—they're positioning for potential conflict scenarios. Mark Green from the House Committee on Homeland Security didn't mince words last month when he called these "the most sophisticated and sustained hacking operations we have ever seen."

Cybersecurity expert Hanselman put it bluntly: "These attackers already have sufficient access into internet infrastructure and are looking to expand their depth within data center environments." It's not about getting in anymore—they're already inside and making themselves comfortable.

In response, House Republicans reintroduced legislation specifically designed to counter Chinese cyber threats to critical infrastructure. Chairman Moolenaar emphasized the urgency: "With groups like Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon already compromising our systems, it's critical that we strengthen our defenses."

The lesson here? The cyber battlefield has no front lines. Chinese state hackers aren't just after data—they're establishing persistent access to critical systems that could be leveraged during a future conflict, particularly over Taiwan. It's less about the breach and more about the long game.

As I always say: in cyberspace, the walls have ears—and increasingly, they're speaking Mandarin.

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