David E. Sanger

And there was one at the other end of the bench as well. But the other way to go look at it is that that eulogy basically was a warning that while we have made it through each one of these five presidencies represented on those benches and Jimmy Carter's, that there remains a threat to the institution. And I think that's what Biden was saying without ever, of course, uttering Donald Trump's name.

And there was one at the other end of the bench as well. But the other way to go look at it is that that eulogy basically was a warning that while we have made it through each one of these five presidencies represented on those benches and Jimmy Carter's, that there remains a threat to the institution. And I think that's what Biden was saying without ever, of course, uttering Donald Trump's name.

I am, and delighted to be here.

I am, and delighted to be here.

It is, Sabrina. It's the big one. It's from China. It was run by the Chinese Ministry of State Security and hackers working for them. It's got a strange name. It's called Salt Typhoon. But the key thing to know here is that this is a hack of America's telecommunication systems. It's a hack of AT&T and Verizon. It's a hack of all of the smaller communication systems.

It is, Sabrina. It's the big one. It's from China. It was run by the Chinese Ministry of State Security and hackers working for them. It's got a strange name. It's called Salt Typhoon. But the key thing to know here is that this is a hack of America's telecommunication systems. It's a hack of AT&T and Verizon. It's a hack of all of the smaller communication systems.

And what's remarkable about it is that the Chinese were able by spending millions of dollars and a lot of time to figure out how to get into the core of what binds the United States together, which gives them access to so much more. What's really striking to me is the degree to which this has freaked out American officials.

And what's remarkable about it is that the Chinese were able by spending millions of dollars and a lot of time to figure out how to get into the core of what binds the United States together, which gives them access to so much more. What's really striking to me is the degree to which this has freaked out American officials.

The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, who was himself a telecoms executive in a previous life, told me it is the worst intrusion into the United States he has ever seen in his career. Wow. Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, organized in the Situation Room a meeting with the chief executive officers of each of the major telecommunications companies.

The head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, Senator Mark Warner, who was himself a telecoms executive in a previous life, told me it is the worst intrusion into the United States he has ever seen in his career. Wow. Jake Sullivan, the national security advisor, organized in the Situation Room a meeting with the chief executive officers of each of the major telecommunications companies.

They dragged them to Washington and said, we are going to have to figure out an emergency way to get the Chinese out of your systems and to rebuild those systems so they can't get back in. So the critical question that this hack raises is how could it be this late in the cyber wars, which have been going on for two decades, that China has managed once again to pierce America's defenses? Okay.

They dragged them to Washington and said, we are going to have to figure out an emergency way to get the Chinese out of your systems and to rebuild those systems so they can't get back in. So the critical question that this hack raises is how could it be this late in the cyber wars, which have been going on for two decades, that China has managed once again to pierce America's defenses? Okay.

So the first thing we know is that telecom companies were clueless for a year, maybe two years, that the Chinese were in their system. In other words, they had their radars off. In fact, for some parts of their systems, they never had radars on at all. And the second thing is that Microsoft researchers put the telecom companies onto this for the first time.

So the first thing we know is that telecom companies were clueless for a year, maybe two years, that the Chinese were in their system. In other words, they had their radars off. In fact, for some parts of their systems, they never had radars on at all. And the second thing is that Microsoft researchers put the telecom companies onto this for the first time.

The telecoms missed it entirely, but Microsoft noticed that Chinese hacking groups that they follow were targeting these companies, AT&T and Verizon and many others. And suddenly they realized that the Chinese were inside an American system, and they were the first ones to send up the alert.

The telecoms missed it entirely, but Microsoft noticed that Chinese hacking groups that they follow were targeting these companies, AT&T and Verizon and many others. And suddenly they realized that the Chinese were inside an American system, and they were the first ones to send up the alert.

Not only were the Chinese hackers there, they had figured out a way to go target some very specific national security officials and politicians, including President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance. Then they discovered that the Chinese could actually listen to some conversations.

Not only were the Chinese hackers there, they had figured out a way to go target some very specific national security officials and politicians, including President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Vance. Then they discovered that the Chinese could actually listen to some conversations.

We don't know for sure what they listened to or whether they actually tuned into some of those conversations. But American investigators seem to have a pretty high certainty that they did. And then we also learned that these hackers could read open, unencrypted texts. That would be, for example, if you were sending a text from an iPhone to an Android.

We don't know for sure what they listened to or whether they actually tuned into some of those conversations. But American investigators seem to have a pretty high certainty that they did. And then we also learned that these hackers could read open, unencrypted texts. That would be, for example, if you were sending a text from an iPhone to an Android.