A major telecom breach that rattled the industry last year is once again making waves in Washington. Senator Maria Cantwell is now demanding answers from AT&T and Verizon (two of the biggest players in the U.S. telecom market) after a sweeping cyberattack raised questions about how secure our networks really are.

As reported by The Verge, Sen. Cantwell has asked cybersecurity firm Mandiant to turn over reports related to how the carriers handled the Salt Typhoon attack. This state-sponsored breach, allegedly backed by China, targeted at least nine major telecom companies (including T-Mobile) and reportedly went undetected for months.

The senator’s concern? Carriers like AT&T and Verizon claim they’ve tightened up their systems since the breach, but she wants proof. In formal letters, she asked both companies to submit detailed documentation: what vulnerabilities were found, how they were addressed, how much money was spent fixing them, and whether any independent audits were done. Her office also wants to see whether user data is now better protected.

Cantwell isn’t the only one asking questions. Other lawmakers have warned that the hack may have allowed foreign operatives to gather call metadata and other sensitive information, even from high-profile U.S. officials. Some experts say the only real fix may be replacing old hardware (some of it more than a decade old) still used in network infrastructure.

Despite the telecom companies’ reassurances that things are under control, the Senate isn’t buying it just yet. With cybersecurity now considered a matter of national defense, it’s clear that the fallout from Salt Typhoon is far from over.

Source: The Verge