May 31.– In a compelling alert highlighting the threat posed by state-sponsored Chinese hackers of America’s critical infrastructure, FBI Director Christopher Wray has issued a stark warning. At a security conference in Nashville, he cautioned that China is strategically positioned to disrupt the American grid and is awaiting the opportune moment.
Speaking at Vanderbilt University, Wray detailed Beijing’s relentless cyberespionage campaign orchestrated through a group known as Volt Typhoon. Intelligence officials had raised concerns about the group nearly a year ago. News from Axios noted the group’s uncommon persistence even after recent sanctions imposed after another Beijing-linked hacking operation targeting lawmakers, defense contractors and anyone criticizing Xi Jinping’s party line.
The sanctions were a response to an operation by Advanced Persistent Threat 31 (APT31) attempting to breach high-profile targets, including White House staff, U.S. senators, and U.K. members of parliament. Wray, however, warned that Volt Typhoon’s impact could surpass that of APT31, underscoring the grave nature of its threat and highlighting its access to critical sectors like telecommunications, energy, and water.
Wray addressed the broader context of China’s ambitions, attributing its cyber spying to the Chinese Communist Party’s pursuit of economic dominance in critical sectors vital to the future of the global economy. He stressed China’s intent to leverage mass resources to disrupt critical U.S. infrastructure ...
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