The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has announced a substantial bounty of $10 million for information related to the “Salt Typhoon,” a notorious Chinese hacking group. This group gained notoriety last year by infiltrating sensitive networks belonging to multiple U.S.-based telecommunications providers and the U.S. Treasury. The FBI’s announcement includes promises of relocation assistance and additional compensation for individuals who come forward with pertinent information on the hacking group. On Friday, the FBI appealed to the public for help in identifying the individuals behind the Salt Typhoon hacking group.

It is seeking any details about the group’s hacking operations, particularly those impacting the telecommunications sector. The agency reiterated its commitment to uncovering and disrupting the nefarious activities of this group. According to the FBI, their investigations have uncovered a wide-ranging cyber campaign aimed at exploiting network access to target victims globally. Interestingly, the $10 million bounty extends beyond just the Salt Typhoon group; it encompasses other hacking groups that have targeted U.S. critical infrastructure.

This includes potentially the Volt Typhoon, another China-based group known for similar attacks. The Salt Typhoon hacking group has been active since at least 2019 and is linked to numerous security breaches affecting carriers worldwide, including in the United States. Notably, a significant attack attributed to them occurred last October, when they reportedly compromised networks belonging to major telecom companies like Verizon, AT&T, and Lumen/CenturyLink. Recent findings from the FBI indicate that Salt Typhoon hackers have accessed networks, intercepted call data logs, and obtained private communications of their targets.

Reports suggested that they continued their aggressive tactics against telecom operators, breaching up to five companies between December 2024 and January 2025.