Chinese hackers intercepted text messages, says cybersecurity firm

Cybersecurity firm FireEye would not identify or otherwise characterise the victims or the impacted telecoms provider or give its location.

FireEye said the targets were chosen by their phone numbers and unique mobile phone identifiers known as IMSI numbers (Philip Toscano/PA)

By Tami Abdollah, Associated Press

Chinese hackers with a history of state-sponsored espionage have intercepted the text messages of thousands of foreigners in a targeted campaign that planted eavesdropping software on a telecommunications provider’s servers, a cybersecurity firm has said.