Viasat Inc. (NASDAQ:VSAT), a leading U.S. satellite and wireless communications provider, has reportedly been targeted in a massive cyber espionage campaign linked to Chinese state-affiliated hackers, according to Bloomberg.
The breach was discovered earlier this year, and Viasat has been working closely with U.S. authorities to investigate the incident. The company confirmed that the intrusion stemmed from a compromised device, but emphasized that no customer data was affected. A third-party cybersecurity firm assisted in the investigation. However, Viasat declined to comment on whether its core networks were accessed.
Viasat is the latest in a growing list of major U.S. telecom and infrastructure firms targeted in the cyberattack, joining Verizon (NYSE:VZ), AT&T (NYSE:T), and Lumen Technologies (NYSE:LUMN). The espionage operation is being attributed to a group Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) has identified as “Salt Typhoon.”
According to Bloomberg’s report, the hackers accessed millions of sensitive phone records, including those tied to presidential candidate Donald Trump and members of both the Republican and Democratic election campaigns. Although most of the hacking activity is believed to be historical, U.S. officials warn that the threat remains active and evolving.
The FBI is currently leading the investigation and estimates that the operation may have affected up to 1.3 million users. This incident underscores the growing risk of nation-state cyberattacks on U.S. infrastructure, particularly in the telecom and satellite sectors.
As global cybersecurity concerns mount, the Viasat breach adds to the urgency for stronger network defenses and cross-sector collaboration to combat sophisticated digital threats.