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Christopher Wray described how Beijing is trying to weaken the US from within.
At the annual security conference, FBI Director Christopher Wray stressed the need to pay attention to the threat from China. Wray pointed to Beijing's massive efforts to covertly deploy malware on critical U.S. infrastructure, describing it as a national security threat.
Referring to the Volt Typhoon group, which was discovered in the networks of critical infrastructure in the United States, Ray said that Chinese-backed hackers pre-install malware that can be activated at any time to disrupt the operation of target networks. According to Ray, this is only the tip of the iceberg in the many similar efforts by China.
Wray stressed that the FBI is actively working in this direction, but declined to specify which critical infrastructure objects were targeted, emphasizing the scale and complexity of Chinese hacking operations that have accelerated over the past decade. Of particular concern is Beijing's interest in infiltrating US networks for the purpose of conducting destructive cyber attacks.
During meetings with colleagues from the Five Eyes alliance and visits to Malaysia and India, Ray discussed cyber defense strategies and the Chinese hacking campaign, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in countering the threat. The Netherlands also reported cyberattacks by Chinese hackers, highlighting the scale of the problem.
China has traditionally denied allegations of cyberattacks and espionage, but evidence of state support for China's cyber operations is accumulating. The United States has accused a number of officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) cyber units of stealing secrets.
Ray also noted that cyberattacks are amplified by artificial intelligence tools, which allow Chinese intelligence agents to convincingly recruit agents, steal secrets, and process the information collected. According to Ray, China is actively seeking progress in AI to speed up the process of economic espionage and data theft.
It is worth noting that recently the US authorities announced a successful counteraction to the Volt Typhoon cyber operation, aimed at introducing malware that could damage the country's civil infrastructure. The operation affected a network of hundreds of routers in the United States seized by Chinese hackers. The attacks targeted water supply facilities, power grids, and transportation systems across the United States. Ray stressed that Chinese hackers are preparing for the possible creation of chaos in the event of a conflict between the United States and China.
Volt Typhoon is a hacker group that, according to Western intelligence agencies and cybersecurity companies, is supported by the Chinese government and engaged in cyber espionage against various organizations in the United States and other countries. The group got its name from Microsoft, which discovered its activity in May 2023 . However, Volt Typhoon has been operating for at least two years and specializes in penetrating critical infrastructure such as telecommunications, transportation hubs, and energy facilities.
At the annual security conference, FBI Director Christopher Wray stressed the need to pay attention to the threat from China. Wray pointed to Beijing's massive efforts to covertly deploy malware on critical U.S. infrastructure, describing it as a national security threat.
Referring to the Volt Typhoon group, which was discovered in the networks of critical infrastructure in the United States, Ray said that Chinese-backed hackers pre-install malware that can be activated at any time to disrupt the operation of target networks. According to Ray, this is only the tip of the iceberg in the many similar efforts by China.
Wray stressed that the FBI is actively working in this direction, but declined to specify which critical infrastructure objects were targeted, emphasizing the scale and complexity of Chinese hacking operations that have accelerated over the past decade. Of particular concern is Beijing's interest in infiltrating US networks for the purpose of conducting destructive cyber attacks.
During meetings with colleagues from the Five Eyes alliance and visits to Malaysia and India, Ray discussed cyber defense strategies and the Chinese hacking campaign, emphasizing the importance of international cooperation in countering the threat. The Netherlands also reported cyberattacks by Chinese hackers, highlighting the scale of the problem.
China has traditionally denied allegations of cyberattacks and espionage, but evidence of state support for China's cyber operations is accumulating. The United States has accused a number of officers of the Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) cyber units of stealing secrets.
Ray also noted that cyberattacks are amplified by artificial intelligence tools, which allow Chinese intelligence agents to convincingly recruit agents, steal secrets, and process the information collected. According to Ray, China is actively seeking progress in AI to speed up the process of economic espionage and data theft.
It is worth noting that recently the US authorities announced a successful counteraction to the Volt Typhoon cyber operation, aimed at introducing malware that could damage the country's civil infrastructure. The operation affected a network of hundreds of routers in the United States seized by Chinese hackers. The attacks targeted water supply facilities, power grids, and transportation systems across the United States. Ray stressed that Chinese hackers are preparing for the possible creation of chaos in the event of a conflict between the United States and China.
Volt Typhoon is a hacker group that, according to Western intelligence agencies and cybersecurity companies, is supported by the Chinese government and engaged in cyber espionage against various organizations in the United States and other countries. The group got its name from Microsoft, which discovered its activity in May 2023 . However, Volt Typhoon has been operating for at least two years and specializes in penetrating critical infrastructure such as telecommunications, transportation hubs, and energy facilities.
