FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a stark warning this week about the growing threat posed by Chinese hackers, who he says are developing the capability to cause significant damage to America’s critical infrastructure.
Speaking at the 2024 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats, Wray said that Chinese hackers are actively working to “physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing.”
He cautioned that these hackers are waiting “for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow.”
The hacking campaign, known as Volt Typhoon, has successfully infiltrated several American critical infrastructure sectors, including telecommunications, energy, water, and others, according to Wray.
“Its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic,” he said.
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While addressing the threat posed by Volt Typhoon, a spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that the hacking group is a criminal ransomware entity and is not affiliated with the Chinese government.
The Chinese embassy in Washington, D.C., issued a statement regarding the serious allegations.
“Some in the US have been using origin-tracing of cyberattacks as a tool to hit and frame China, claiming the US to be the victim while it’s the other way round, and politicizing cybersecurity issues,” the statement read.
However, security experts from Microsoft and Google have previously linked the Volt Typhoon hackers to China, with Wray highlighting the connection to tensions between the U.S. and China over Taiwan.
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This is not the first time Wray has raised concerns about Chinese cyber threats. In February, he warned lawmakers on Capitol Hill that Chinese hackers are intent on causing real-world harm to American citizens and communities.
During a hearing before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, titled “The Chinese Community Party Cyber Threat to the American Homeland and National Security,” Wray emphasized the urgency of addressing the risks posed by Chinese cyber activities.
“There has been far too little public focus on the fact that PRC [People’s Republic of China] hackers are targeting our critical infrastructure – our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, our transportation systems. And the risk that poses to every American requires our attention now,” Wray told lawmakers at the time.
