US Congress email breach linked to China's 'Salt Typhoon' spy campaign

Emails of staff working for US House committees were reportedly hacked by China under the 'Salt Typhoon' cyber espionage campaign; the breach was detected in December last year

China has hacked email accounts used by staff working for powerful committees in the US House of Representatives, the Financial Times reported. The attacks are being seen as part of a large cyber espionage operation known as 'Salt Typhoon'.

 

The hackers accessed email systems used by staffers on the House China committee, as well as aides linked to the foreign affairs, intelligence and armed services committees. The breach was detected in December, the report said.

 

What is 'Salt Typhoon'?

 

'Salt Typhoon' is said to be run by China’s Ministry of State Security (MSS), the country’s main intelligence agency. The campaign has been active for several years and is focused on US communication networks, the report said.

 

 

It reportedly allows China to tap into unencrypted phone calls, text messages and voicemails of a vast number of Americans. In some cases, it can also provide access to email accounts. The campaign has intercepted calls involving senior US officials over the past two years.

 

According to the report, US telecom companies have been slow to defend against the Salt Typhoon, largely due to the high cost of securing networks. Mark Warner, a top Democrat on the Senate intelligence committee, said that US systems are especially exposed because they were built at a time when cyber security was not a priority.

 

The US Treasury had planned to put sanctions on Chinese intelligence bodies over the Salt Typhoon hacking in December 2025, but dropped the move fearing it could hurt the easing of ties agreed by President Donald Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping in October, the news report said.   

 

US officials raise alarm

 

Besides Warner, Jake Sullivan, former president Joe Biden’s national security adviser, also highlighted the risks. Speaking to the Financial Times last year after leaving the White House, he said that US telecom companies were “highly vulnerable” to the Salt Typhoon.

 

China denies allegations

 

China has rejected the claims. The news report quoted Liu Pengyu, spokesperson for the Chinese embassy in Washington, as saying, “We firmly oppose the US side making unfounded speculation and accusations, using cyber security to smear and slander China and spreading all kinds of disinformation about the so-called Chinese hacking threats.”