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U.S. Telecom Giants Contain Salt Typhoon Cyberespionage Attack
- Written by Andrea Miliani Former Tech News Expert
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
American telecom companies AT&T and Verizon have confirmed they have been targeted by the Chinese government-linked group Salt Typhoon and announced their networks are currently safe.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Verizon and AT&T confirmed they have been targeted by the Chinese government-linked group Salt Typhoon.
- Both companies assured that their networks are now safe and haven’t been heavily impacted by the attack.
- The U.S. government confirmed that nine companies had been breached.
According to Reuters , the companies have been working with government officials and law enforcement to avert the attack, announced by the FBI and CISA a few weeks ago.
“We detect no activity by nation-state actors in our networks at this time. Based on our current investigation of this attack, the People’s Republic of China targeted a small number of individuals of foreign intelligence interest,” said a spokesperson from AT&T.
Only a few cases of sensitive information have been compromised and the companies continue to work on security measures and strategies to mitigate the consequences of the cyber espionage campaign. The hackers were seeking to steal data and access customer call records, especially from American politicians.
The U.S. government confirmed on Friday that nine telecom companies had been targeted but didn’t disclose the names of all nine. Only Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile USA Inc. acknowledged publicly the malicious campaign and the security measures taken. Officials previously mentioned other companies targeted, such as Lumen.
“We have not detected threat actor activity in Verizon’s network for some time, and after considerable work addressing this incident, we can report that Verizon has contained the activities associated with this particular incident,” said Verizon’s Chief Legal Officer in a statement.
The Chinese government, on the other hand, has denied any participation in the attacks. Other Chinese hacking groups such as Earth Estries , have also been targeting telecom companies in other regions.
AI Drives Faster Discoveries But Lowers Job Satisfaction, Study Finds
- Written by Kiara Fabbri Former Tech News Writer
- Fact-Checked by Justyn Newman Former Lead Cybersecurity Editor
Artificial Intelligence is making a big impact on materials science, speeding up discoveries and leading to more patents and new products. A recent study looked at how an AI tool for materials discovery affected a major research lab, showing both exciting benefits and significant challenges.
In a Rush? Here are the Quick Facts!
- Skilled scientists benefit most from AI, prioritizing effective suggestions and avoiding false positives.
- 82% of researchers report lower job satisfaction, citing repetitive tasks and reduced creativity.
- Labs adapt by prioritizing scientists with strong judgment skills in hiring practices.
The study found that AI can greatly increase the rate of materials discovery by automating many idea-generation tasks. This allows scientists to focus on testing the suggestions made by the AI. Analyzing the mechanisms, the researcher found that AI automates 57% of idea-generation tasks, shifting researchers to focus on evaluating AI-generated candidate materials.
However, the success of this technology relies heavily on the skills of the researchers using it. Scientists with strong judgment and expertise quickly learned to prioritize the AI’s best suggestions, while others struggled, wasting time on ideas that didn’t work.
Despite these benefits, the study revealed a major downside: most researchers felt less satisfied with their work. About 82% reported lower job satisfaction, mainly because their tasks became less creative and more repetitive. Many said they felt their skills were underused, and the shift in focus made the work less enjoyable.
These findings challenge the idea that AI will only take over boring tasks, leaving people to focus on more rewarding work. Instead, the study showed that AI is automating some of the most exciting parts of scientific research—like coming up with new ideas.
“I couldn’t help feeling that much of my education is now worthless,” One scientist from the study said, as reported by The Wall Street Journal .
The study also looked at how the lab adapted to the changes AI brought. After seeing how the tool worked, the lab changed its hiring practices to focus on scientists with strong judgment skills. While this helped improve collaboration with the AI, it widened the gap between more and less productive researchers, adding to the dissatisfaction for some.
The author believes AI could help reduce income inequality if workers receive proper training. For instance, a well-trained paralegal using AI could handle tasks typically done by experienced lawyers, potentially earning a higher income.
Without adequate training, however, the situation is “like sending people up in an airplane without putting them in a flight simulator first and telling them, ‘Oh, sorry, you crashed, I guess you’re a bad pilot,’” he explained to The Wall Street Journal.
The findings raise important questions about how AI will affect the future of scientific work. While AI tools can accelerate innovation, they also risk making jobs less engaging if not used carefully.
The study suggests that organizations and policymakers need to find ways to balance these effects—such as offering better training and redesigning roles to keep tasks interesting and rewarding.
