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Dec. 6, 2024, 6:30 p.m.

White House accuses Chinese hackers of infiltrating telecom companies

SUMMARY

The White House said that a broad Chinese hacking operation had infiltrated at least eight American telecommunications companies and that none of them have managed to remove the Chinese hackers from their systems. Nick Schifrin reports.

View the transcript of the story.

News alternative: Check out recent segments from the NewsHour, and choose the story you’re most interested in watching. You can make a Google doc copy of discussion questions that work for any of the stories here.

WARM-UP QUESTIONS

  1. What seemed to be some of the targets for accused Chinese hackers?
  2. Who is Anne Neuberger, and what is her background?
  3. Where have Chinese hackers targeted other than the United States?
  4. How did China respond to accusations about these infiltrations?
  5. Why is the alleged infiltration dangerous for Americans, according to Neuberger?

FOCUS QUESTIONS

Do you think the United States is acting quickly enough to respond to the Chinese hacking campaign? What strategies would you try to prevent future infiltrations?

Media literacy: Do you know where you can learn more about infiltration? What else are you curious to learn about that wasn't covered in this segment?

Alternative: See, Think, Wonder: What did you notice? What did the story make you think? What would you want to learn more about?

FOR MORE

What students can do: Read this story about the hacking to learn more. As a class, discuss —

  • What vulnerabilities did the hackers take advantage of?
  • Are your own devices vulnerable? What are you doing to protect your own devices from hacking?

Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside the building of an American company in Beijing
Chinese and U.S. flags flutter outside the building of an American company in Beijing, China, January 21, 2021. REUTERS/Tingshu Wang


This lesson was written by Payton Alfieri, a junior at Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia, with editing by Luke Gerwe.

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