Mark Raymond & Typhaine Joffe
The ongoing Salt Typhoon cyberattack, affecting some of the United States’ largest telecoms companies, has galvanised a trend toward more assertive U.S. engagement in the cyber domain.
This is the wrong lesson to take.
Instead, the U.S. should prioritise investments in cyber defence and reconsider its commitment to persistent engagement, a strategic move away from earlier U.S. approaches based on restraint and deterrence. The attack underscores the risks of an increasingly permissive cyber environment: one in which large-scale cyber operations are normalised, restraint is eroded and investments in cyber defence are insufficient.
In November 2024, reports began spreading that the Salt Typhoon group had penetrated several major U.S. telecommunications networks. These operations compromised sensitive data, including call metadata of U.S. citizens and communications vital to national security agencies. The U.S. government says the Chinese government is behind the attack.
What makes it so concerning is that it exploited long-standing vulnerabilities in obsolete and unpatched network infrastructures. Telecommunications companies, including Verizon, AT&T and T-Mobile, failed to secure network devices, with some systems still operating without multi-factor authentication. Active for more than a year before its detection, the breach highlights the need for additional investments in cyber defence, while also demonstrating the potential consequences of underestimating evolving digital espionage.
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