Rubio says Chinese hacking of U.S. telecom companies is a "very serious situation"

Sen. Marco Rubio, who is connected nan Senate Intelligence Committee, said Sunday that arsenic "time goes on, we're going to study more" astir Chinese hacking of U.S. telecom companies, calling it a "very superior business that we face."

In October national authorities launched an investigation into a cyberattack linked to China-backed hackers that targeted awesome U.S. telecommunications companies and systems utilized for cardinal authorities intelligence postulation capabilities, a U.S. charismatic acquainted pinch nan matter confirmed to CBS News astatine nan time. The hacking group known arsenic "Salt Typhoon" deed galore companies including Verizon, AT&T and Lumen Technologies. 

According to nan official, nan Chinese hackers breached systems utilized by U.S. intelligence to behaviour wiretaps, and some authorities agencies and nan affected backstage companies are trying to ascertain what information, if any, nan malign actors were capable to collect. It's not yet clear whether China accessed nan audio of Americans telephone calls, but Rubio agreed connected Sunday pinch Senate Intelligence Committee chair Mark Warner's appraisal of nan breach being "one of nan biggest breaches perchance ever."

• Transcript: Sen. Marco Rubio connected "Face nan Nation pinch Margaret Brennan," Nov. 3, 2024

"Well, I'm not going to remark connected what they access, but I work together pinch Mark Warner's statement. It is an egregious, outrageous and vulnerable breach of our telecommunications systems crossed aggregate companies," Rubio said connected "Face nan Nation pinch Margaret Brennan. "I deliberation arsenic clip goes on, we're going to study much astir it. Some of it will beryllium made public. I deliberation there's much that's still being gathered."

Sen. Marco Rubio connected "Face nan Nation pinch Margaret Brennan," Nov. 3, 2024. CBS News

Rubio noted that though this breach does not look to straight impact nan integrity of nan U.S. statesmanlike election, it is origin for wider interest of nationalist information going forward. 

"It's a very superior business that we face. And I deliberation 1 that is rather threatening, possibly not straight to nan predetermination per se, but surely to nan nationalist information of our state moving forward," Rubio said connected "Face nan Nation." "It's a vulnerability that nary 1 imagined aliases anticipated, but present it is."

While this circumstantial breach is not presently believed to frighten nan statesmanlike election, it is not to opportunity that overseas efforts successful predetermination interference, including that of China, person been scarce. 

In precocious October, Microsoft issued a seven-page report connected really Russia, Iran and China are trying to interfere pinch nan 2024 U.S. elections, informing U.S. voters of deepfake videos and different strategies being implemented to target governmental candidates.

Rubio, who is not up for reelection until 2028, was 1 of nan targets of nan Chinese-linked power efforts. Microsoft noted they person observed Chinese power operations targeting  Rubio intermittently since nan lead up to nan 2022 midterm elections. Despite this study highlighting nan information threat of overseas adversaries, Rubio said Sunday that he remains assured successful nan information of U.S. elections.

"Well, I'm assured successful nan information and integrity of nan elections, and particularly because we person beardown systems crossed this country. It's dispersed crossed 50 states," Rubio said. "That doesn't mean location aren't going to beryllium problems."