**Scope Of Chinese 'Salt Typhoon' Hack Keeps Getting Worse, As Trump Dismantles U.S. Cybersecurity Defenses**

The Salt Typhoon cyberattack, attributed to China, has been making headlines for months, but the full extent of its scope and damage is only now coming to light.

Last June, NextGov reported that lawyers at major telecom companies had begun advising their engineers to stop searching for signs of Salt Typhoon intrusion. Their reasoning? Fear of bad press and liability.

This kind of advice is nothing short of egregious, a blatant example of negligence masquerading as caution. It's the sort of guidance that would get a lawyer disbarred in any respectable jurisdiction – and yet, it seems to have been taken seriously by some of the largest telecom companies in the world.

The implications are staggering. If these companies were genuinely worried about being targeted by Salt Typhoon, one would expect them to be taking proactive steps to bolster their cybersecurity defenses. Instead, they seem to be deliberately turning a blind eye, choosing to prioritize their public image over the safety of their customers' data.

Meanwhile, the Trump administration's recent decision to dismantle key elements of U.S. cybersecurity infrastructure is only adding fuel to the fire. Critics argue that this move will leave American companies and citizens even more vulnerable to attacks like Salt Typhoon, allowing foreign hackers to exploit our weaknesses with impunity.

The full extent of the damage caused by Salt Typhoon remains unknown, but one thing is clear: the situation is dire, and it's not just a matter of China vs. the U.S. – it's about protecting our shared digital future from those who would seek to exploit its vulnerabilities.