Chinese hackers, backed by the government, have breached the interception systems of major telecommunications and internet providers in the US, such as AT&T, Lumen and Verizon.
These systems, under the CALEA Act of 1994, allow access to sensitive customer data for lawful surveillance by authorities. However, as experts have pointed out, the existence of such “backdoors” makes the systems susceptible to malicious attacks.
Read more: Salt Typhoon group hacked US telecom companies
Matt Blaze, an expert on secure systems, considers the breach inevitable, arguing that technological backdoors are inherently vulnerable. Riana Pfefferkorn, an expert on cryptography, emphasizes that the system in question, rather than protecting citizens, exposes them to risks, and suggests that the only solution is to strengthen encryption.
CALEA, enacted at a time when cell phones and the internet were still in their infancy, requires communications providers to provide access to customer data when legally required. After the attacks of September 11, 2001, surveillance and data collection intensified, leading to the creation of a wiretapping industry that made it easier for companies to comply with the law.
See also: Hackers exploit zero-day vulnerability to target US internet service providers
The 2013 revelations of the collection of Americans' private data by Edward Snowden exposed US surveillance techniques, causing consternation in Silicon Valley, which began implementing tighter encryption. In contrast, telecommunications providers did little to protect their data traffic, allowing governments to continue to exploit these systems.
In addition to the United States, other countries, such as EU member states, are seeking to enact legislation that threatens encryption, raising concerns about cybersecurity.
Read more: Star Health data leak: Data of 31 million customers exposed via Telegram
The Signal app, known for its end-to-end encryption, has warned that suggestions for backdoors are dangerous, citing the recent breach as evidence of the risks they pose.
Source: techcrunch
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