T-Mobile hacked in massive Chinese breach of telecom networks, WSJ reports

NEW YORK - T-Mobile's network was among the systems hacked in a damaging Chinese cyber-espionage operation that gained entry into multiple US and international telecommunications companies, The Wall Street Journal reported on Nov 15, citing people familiar with the matter.

Hackers linked to a Chinese intelligence agency were able to breach T-Mobile as part of a months-long campaign to spy on the cellphone communications of high-value intelligence targets, the Journal added, without saying when the attack took place.

"T-Mobile is closely monitoring this industry-wide attack," a company spokesperson told Reuters in an email.

"At this time, T-Mobile systems and data have not been impacted in any significant way, and we have no evidence of impacts to customer information."

It was unclear what information, if any, was taken about T-Mobile customers' calls and communications records, according to the WSJ report.

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On Nov 13, The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and the US cyber watchdog agency Cisasaid China-linked hackers have intercepted surveillance data intended for American law enforcement agencies after breaking into an unspecified number of telecom companies.

Earlier in October, the Journal reported that Chinese hackers accessed the networks of US broadband providers, including Verizon Communications, AT&T and Lumen Technologies, and obtained information from systems the federal government uses for court-authorised wiretapping.

Beijing has previously denied claims by the US government and others that it has used hackers to break into foreign computer systems.