Hackers with ties to the Chinese government have gained access to vital U.S. infrastructure and are holding out "for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow," FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday.
In a lecture at Vanderbilt University, Wray said that 23 pipeline operators were the subject of a continuing Chinese hacking effort known as Volt Typhoon, which has effectively acquired access to multiple American firms in the telecommunications, energy, water, and other key sectors.
At the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats in 2024, Wray said that China is gaining the "ability to physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing." "Its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic."
According to Wray, it was difficult to ascertain the purpose of China's cyber-pre-positioning, which was consistent with its larger goal of dissuading the United States from supporting Taiwan.
China has never abandoned using force to impose its will on the democratically ruled island of Taiwan, which it claims as its own. Taiwan vehemently rejects China's claims of sovereignty, arguing that the people of the island alone should choose their own destiny.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier this week, opens new tab Volt Typhoon belongs to a criminal ransomware gang and is not associated with the Chinese government.
China's Embassy in Washington cited the MFA spokesperson's remarks in a statement. "Some in the US have been using origin-tracing of cyberattacks as a tool to hit and frame China, claiming the US to be the victim while it is the other way round, and politicizing cybersecurity issues."
According to Wray, Chinese hackers used a network of infected servers and personal computers known as "botnets" to hide their illicit online activity. Previous findings from security experts at Microsoft and Google, as well as private sector American technology and cybersecurity organizations, linked Volt Typhoon to China.
In a lecture at Vanderbilt University, Wray said that 23 pipeline operators were the subject of a continuing Chinese hacking effort known as Volt Typhoon, which has effectively acquired access to multiple American firms in the telecommunications, energy, water, and other key sectors.
At the Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats in 2024, Wray said that China is gaining the "ability to physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing." "Its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic."
According to Wray, it was difficult to ascertain the purpose of China's cyber-pre-positioning, which was consistent with its larger goal of dissuading the United States from supporting Taiwan.
China has never abandoned using force to impose its will on the democratically ruled island of Taiwan, which it claims as its own. Taiwan vehemently rejects China's claims of sovereignty, arguing that the people of the island alone should choose their own destiny.
A spokesman for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said earlier this week, opens new tab Volt Typhoon belongs to a criminal ransomware gang and is not associated with the Chinese government.
China's Embassy in Washington cited the MFA spokesperson's remarks in a statement. "Some in the US have been using origin-tracing of cyberattacks as a tool to hit and frame China, claiming the US to be the victim while it is the other way round, and politicizing cybersecurity issues."
According to Wray, Chinese hackers used a network of infected servers and personal computers known as "botnets" to hide their illicit online activity. Previous findings from security experts at Microsoft and Google, as well as private sector American technology and cybersecurity organizations, linked Volt Typhoon to China.
