Chinese government-backed hackers are targeting things like water treatment plants, electrical infrastructure and oil and gas pipelines, FBI director testifies to House
FBI Director Christopher Wray has made a dramatic public statement that demonstrates the level of concern among the country’s security services, as he warned that Chinese hackers are preparing to wreak havoc and damage on the US.
“China’s hackers breaking into US infrastructure are preparing to wreak havoc and real harm on American citizens and communities if or when China decides it’s time to strike,” Ray told the House Committee on the Chinese Communist Party. .
Although cyber officials have long sounded the alarm about China’s aggressive cyber capabilities, Wray’s dramatic public warning underscores the enormous level of concern at the top of the US government about the threat posed by Chinese hackers to critical infrastructure at the national level.
The head of the National Security Agency and other senior US officials also testified about Chinese cyber activity before the House panel on Wednesday.
Chinese government-backed hackers, Ray said, are targeting things like water treatment plants, electrical infrastructure and oil and gas pipelines.
Chinese hackers are working “to find and prepare to destroy or degrade the vital urban infrastructure that keeps us safe and prosperous,” the FBI chief said. “And let’s be clearj: Cyber threats to our critical infrastructure represent real-world threats to our physical security.”
The Chinese government has denied allegations of hacking attempts.
The hearing comes amid efforts by US and Chinese officials to ease tensions in the relationship between the two superpowers. In a meeting in November, Chinese President Xi Jinping assured US President Joe Biden that China would not interfere in the 2024 US election, CNN exclusively reported Tuesday. That assurance was repeated by the Chinese foreign minister to Biden’s national security adviser last weekend, CNN reports.
Asked about that assurance at the House hearing, Wray said: “China has promised a lot of things over the years, so I’ll believe it when I see it.”
The focus of the hearing was not the US election, but how Chinese hackers are reportedly breaking into computer networks at ports, power plants and other key infrastructure in the US.
Source :Skai
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