FBI awaits signal that Salt Typhoon is fully excised from telecom firms, official says

FBI Deputy Director for Cyber Operations Brett Leatherman said that "there’s a lot of work focused on containment" when it comes to the Salt Typhoon hacks.

SAN FRANCISCO — As hackers affiliated with the Chinese government continue to take a more aggressive stance, federal agencies and their private sector partners are turning to each other to shore up critical cyber vulnerabilities through improved relationships.

FBI Deputy Assistant Director for Cyber Operations Brett Leatherman sat down with Nextgov/FCW on the sidelines of the RSAC Conference in San Francisco, California, to discuss Chinese hacking threats and the bureau’s ongoing cyber work.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Nextgov/FCW: What brings you and your FBI colleagues out to RSAC Conference this year?

Brett Leatherman: The conference itself focuses on partnerships. I’ve been with the FBI for 21 years now. I've worked counter terrorism, criminal investigations ...