The guidance issued by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency is intended to help root out the hackers and prevent similar cyberespionage in the future. Officials who briefed reporters on the recommendations said the United States still doesn't know the true scope of China's attack or the extent to which Chinese hackers still have access to US networks.
But on Tuesday, officials said they think the hackers were more broadly motivated, hoping to burrow deeply into the nation's telecommunications systems to gain wide access to Americans' information.The suggestions for telecom companies released Tuesday are largely technical in nature, urging encryption, centralization and consistent monitoring to deter cyber intrusions.