05:50 AM EDT, 10/14/2024 (MT Newswires) -- (Updates with the Chinese embassy's response in the fourth paragraph.)

Verizon Communications ( VZ ) , AT&T ( T ) , and Lumen Technologies ( LUMN ) are being asked by US officials about last week's alleged breaches that were believed to be made by Chinese-linked hacking group Salt Typhoon, The Wall Street Journal reported Friday.

According to the report, the House Select Committee on China sent letters Thursday asking the three companies to state when they became aware of the alleged breaches and list the measures being taken to protect their wiretap systems from attack.

Federal authorities are investigating the incident on concerns that the compromises may have allowed the hackers to gain access to court-authorized wiretapping systems and the US government's efforts to monitor perceived Chinese threats, the report said.

"China firmly opposes and combats cyber attacks and cyber theft in all forms. This position is consistent and clear. Given the virtual nature of cyberspace and the fact that there are all kinds of online actors who are difficult to trace, identifying the source of cyber attacks is a complex technical issue," a Chinese embassy spokesperson in Washington Liu Pengyu was quoted as saying in an email to MT Newswires. "We hope that relevant sides will adopt a professional and responsible attitude and underscore the importance to have enough evidence when identifying cyber-related incidents, rather than make groundless speculations and allegations."

AT&T ( T ) and Lumen declined to comment to MT Newswires, while Verizon did not respond.

(Market Chatter news is derived from conversations with market professionals globally. This information is believed to be from reliable sources but may include rumor and speculation. Accuracy is not guaranteed.)

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