The level of Chinese hacking attacks on US infrastructure has increased.
According to the Washington Post, Christopher Wray, the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), announced at a security meeting in Munich that Chinese hackers’ attacks on American infrastructure have risen to an unprecedented level.
He also said: This problem is one of the most important threats to American national security. Recently, Chinese hackers have launched widespread attacks on communications, energy, transportation, and water facilities across the United States.
The American official added: “This is just the tip of the iceberg, this is one of many efforts by China.” He stressed that hackers supported by the Chinese leadership are actively introducing malware that can be activated at any time and disrupt the operation of critical US infrastructure. The official urged European and Asian governments to strengthen protection against Chinese hacking attacks, especially on critical infrastructure.
At the hearing of the House of Representatives in early February, Christopher Ray announced that hackers linked to the Chinese government are targeting critical infrastructure in the United States and are preparing to cause “serious and real harm” to Americans.
The head of the FBI will say about the competition between the United States and China in various fields that the power grid, oil and natural gas pipelines, and transportation centers are among the targets of the hacker operation supported by the Chinese government, and this hacker operation has received little public attention so far.
Christopher Wray’s report to the US House of Representatives states in part that “Chinese hackers are preparing to wreak havoc and cause real harm to American citizens and communities if China decides that the time to strike has come.” The Chinese Foreign Ministry has not yet responded to Reuters’ request for comment.
The head of the US Federal Police is scheduled to make his first appearance in front of the Chinese House of Representatives committee this Wednesday in a hearing focused on cyber threats from Beijing. In this meeting, 3 senior cyber officials also accompany Christopher Rai.