Chinese hackers are preparation to launch a major attack on the critical infrastructure of the United States and according to the FBI they have already infiltrated several companies.
FBI Director Chris Wray revealed today that China is developing the capability to cause significant damage to our critical infrastructure at a time of their choosing. The only question is when to strike a catastrophic blow.
“China is developing the capability to physically devastate our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing,” Wray said at the 2024 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. “Its plan is to deliver low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic.”
According to Wray, an ongoing Chinese hacking campaign known as Volt Typhoon has successfully infiltrated several American companies in telecommunications, energy, water and other critical sectors. 23 pipeline operators are targeted.
According to Reuters, Wray went on to note that Chinese hackers operated a series of botnets, which are constellations of compromised personal computers and servers around the world to hide their nefarious cyber actions. American private sector technology and cybersecurity companies had previously attributed the Volt Typhoon to China, including reports from security researchers at Microsoft and Google.
Reuters reports that a spokesperson for China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Volt Typhoon is not related to the Chinese government but is a ransomware criminal group.
The Chinese Embassy in Washington released the following statement in response to the MFA spokesperson’s comment.
Some in the United States have used tracking the origin of cyberattacks as a tool to target and frame China, claiming that the United States is the victim when the opposite is the case, and politicizing cybersecurity issues.
Some say the operation may already be underway. There was a widespread outage involving 911 emergency numbers in four states early this morning: Nebraska, South Dakota, Nevada and Texas.
Additionally, investigative journalist Lara Logan revealed that reliable intelligence sources told her that the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore, Maryland, last month was an “absolutely brilliant strategic attack” on critical US infrastructure. .
From Logan:
Multiple intelligence sources: The Baltimore bridge collapse was an “absolutely brilliant strategic attack” on US critical infrastructure – most likely cyber – and our intelligence agencies know it. In terms of information warfare, they simply divided the United States along the Mason-Dixon line, just like in the Civil War.
The nation’s second busiest strategic hazmat route has now been down for 4-5 years – which is how long they say it will take to restore. The bridge was built specifically to move hazardous materials – fuel, diesel, propane gas, nitrogen, highly flammable materials, chemicals and oversized cargo that can’t fit through the tunnels – which the supply chain has now crippled.
Make no mistake: This was an extraordinary attack in terms of planning, timing and execution.
While the FBI may have identified a major national crisis underway, it may also be a day late and a dollar short. Furthermore, one should not have much confidence that the agency will be able to thwart such a significant attack by a hostile foreign adversary.