China is preparing a group of hackers to “wreak havoc” on America’s critical infrastructure, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers Wednesday.
Digital intruders working for the People’s Republic of China are specifically targeting America’s water treatment facilities, power grids, oil and gas pipelines, and transportation systems, the FBI director said, adding that Chinese hackers are He said the number far exceeds the number of cyber employees in the department.
“Chinese hackers are preparing to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American people and communities should China decide the time is right for an attack,” Wray told the House Select Committee on the Communist Party of China. They are encamped on America’s infrastructure.”
“If you quantify what we’re up against, China has a hacking program larger than all the major countries combined,” the FBI director said.
“In fact, even if we assembled all of the FBI’s cyber agents and intelligence analysts and focused solely on the Chinese threat, Chinese hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber employees by at least 50 to 1. .”
Wray described China’s hacking efforts as part of the communist country’s “multipronged attack on our national and economic security” and called it “the defining threat of our generation.”
Underscoring how common and widespread China’s hacking activity is, Ray said that shortly before that day, “hundreds of routers” had been hijacked by a Chinese hacking group known as Bolt Typhoon. He pointed out that the FBI had identified the
“The Bolt Typhoon malware allowed China to conceal pre-operational reconnaissance and network abuse against critical infrastructure in the communications, energy, transportation, and water sectors, among others,” he said.
Wray said the malware attack thwarted by the agency and its partners was an attempt by China to “find and prepare to destroy or destroy critical civilian infrastructure that keeps us safe and prosperous.” explained.
“And let me be clear: cyber threats to our critical infrastructure represent real-world threats to our physical security,” he added.
In response to Wray’s macabre testimony, Rep. Mike Walz (R-Fla.) said there is no question that Chinese hacking programs are laying the foundation for the next great world conflict.
“The difference here is that this crosses the line from targeting us and using cyber to infiltrate our systems to delivering malware that destroys our systems,” Walz said. said during an appearance on FOX News. “So we have to start thinking about this differently.”
Walz also argued that cyberattacks on critical U.S. infrastructure should be considered “acts of war.”
“There’s no difference between firing missiles at dams and water treatment plants and shutting them down by cyber means,” the Florida Republican said. “It’s an attack. It’s an act of war. We have to start thinking like that.”
Wray argued that the United States must remain vigilant and actively defend against threats from the Chinese government.
“If we don’t, China has shown that it will make us pay a price,” he said.