Salt Typhoon dormant in US telco networks, says FBI cyber head

Chinese state-sponsored threat operation Salt Typhoon was regarded by newly installed FBI Cyber Division Head Brett Leatherman to have been mostly contained within the U.S. telecommunications networks it had compromised, reports CyberScoop.

Despite its lack of active information infiltration activities within the breached networks, Salt Typhoon remains a formidable cybersecurity threat, according to Leatherman. "Salt Typhoon, even though it was [an] espionage campaign, had access to telecommunications infrastructure. You can pivot from access in support of espionage to access in support of destructive action," said Leatherman. With the total removal of Salt Typhoon from compromised telecommunications networks being a significant challenge made more difficult by their prolonged persistence, Leatherman has emphasized his division's move to offer assistance to victims instead. "Right now we're very focused on resilience and deterrence and providing significant support to victims," added Leatherman, who also noted the need for joint operation opportunities.