WASHINGTON, Oct 26, V7N-  Chinese hackers reportedly breached Verizon’s systems to target phones affiliated with the campaigns of both Democratic candidate Kamala Harris and Republican candidate Donald Trump, according to sources familiar with the situation. Investigators are still determining whether communications from Trump, his running mate JD Vance, and others were accessed. The Trump campaign was informed this week about the targeting of their candidates' phone numbers.

Steven Cheung, communications director for Trump’s campaign, blamed current administration policies for emboldening cyber activities by China and Iran, aiming to prevent Trump’s return to office. However, the Chinese embassy denied any involvement, emphasizing its stance against cyber theft.

The FBI and U.S. Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) have launched investigations into the unauthorized access of commercial telecommunications infrastructure by Chinese-linked entities, though they did not name specific targets. Verizon confirmed its collaboration with law enforcement on this issue and characterized the incident as a “sophisticated attempt” to gather intelligence through U.S. telecom networks.

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