02/06/2024

China’s Hackers Keep Targeting U.S. Water and Electricity Supplies

A Beijing-directed hacking network has targeted a range of infrastructure systems

Christopher Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), recently warned that China was ramping up an extensive hacking operation geared at taking down the United States' power grid, oil pipelines and water systems in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.

Mr. Wray, appearing before a House subcommittee on China, offered an alarming assessment of the Chinese Communist Party's efforts. Its intent is to sow confusion, sap the United States' will to fight and hamper the American military from deploying resources if the dispute over Taiwan, a major flashpoint between the two superpowers, escalates into a war, he added.

Before his testimony, F.B.I. and Justice Department officials revealed that last month, they had obtained a court order that authorized them to gain access to servers infiltrated by Volt Typhoon, a Beijing-directed hacking network that has targeted a range of critical infrastructure systems, often by infiltrating small businesses, contractors or local government networks.

Please select this link to read the complete article from The New York Times.