Chinese spy balloon used a US internet provider to navigate America, report says

Dec 30, 2023 12:00 pm Cyber Security 67

In February the US shot down a Chinese balloon suspected of being used for surveillance.

The balloon was able to connect to a US internet service provider, NBC News reported.

US officials told NBC they could gather messages sent to and from China as a result.

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Before the rest of the country learned about a Chinese spy balloon hovering over American territory, US intelligence officials were quietly gathering intel on the balloon — including which US internet service provider it used to navigate and send information back to China.

A US Air Force F-22 fighter jet shot the balloon down off the coast of South Carolina in February after the device floated across the US for more than a week.

During that time, US intelligence officials were tracking the balloon, NBC News reported, citing two current and one former US official close to the matter. They learned the balloon used a US-based internet service provider, according to NBC News, which declined to name the internet company to protect the identities of their sources.

The anonymous officials said the Biden Administration sought a court order allowing intelligence officials to surveil the balloon as it made its way across the states.

Though it's unclear whether the ..

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