FBI says Chinese hackers preparing to attack US infrastructure

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: Reuters

April 18, 2024 5:12 PM EDT Updated 3 hours ago


Nashville, Tennessee, April 18 (Reuters) - Chinese government-linked hackers have burrowed into U.S. critical infrastructure and are waiting "for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow," FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Thursday.

An ongoing Chinese hacking campaign known as Volt Typhoon has successfully gained access to numerous American companies in telecommunications, energy, water and other critical sectors, with 23 pipeline operators targeted, Wray said in a speech at Vanderbilt University.

China is developing the "ability to physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing," Wray said at the 2024 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. "Its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic."

Wray said it was difficult to determine the intent of this cyber pre-positioning which was aligned with China's broader intent to deter the U.S. from defending Taiwan.

Read more: https://www.reuters.com/technology/cybersecurity/fbi-says-chinese-hackers-preparing-attack-us-infrastructure-2024-04-18/

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Link to FBI NEWS RELEASE - Chinese Government Poses 'Bold and Unrelenting' Threat to U.S. Critical Infrastructure, FBI Director Says

[msongs]

1. and what's he gonna do about it...

[ancianita]

14. What's CISA gonna do about it.

They're the ones who probably found this out.

[OhioTim]

2. I've Said This Was Going To Happen

for decades. The internet will be the end of us all. Just hope our military has retained some old school abilities to protect us.

[Ponietz]

3. +1

[KS Toronado]

22. Ted Kaczynski was the first to say it and he went to jail

If someone ever figures out how to make computers un-hackable, they'd get in the history books.

[Scrivener7]

26. Well, no. He went to jail for randomly bombing lots of people.

[KS Toronado]

36. He was bombing to hopefully stop computers from becoming a reality.

[cstanleytech]

4. China should keep in mind that for every action there is a reaction and our governments reaction might cost them dearly.

[PatSeg]

21. Plus the U.S. is China's best customer

What happens to their economy if they undermine a big source of their revenue? I really don't get it.

[Think. Again.]

5. Oh, are we just trusting what Christopher Wray says now?

[BumRushDaShow]

6. As I have posted over and over

the heads of agencies and Departments are FIGURE HEADS. They are nothing more than a revolving door of appointees (with some like the FBI Director being a "termed" position - in that case, for 10 years and others like the IRS Commissioner, for 5 years as another example).

Otherwise, they gather and "interpret" (however thoughtfully or idiotically) what the CAREER workers compile.

If a pile of investigative civil servants have discovered something that needs attention, they pass it up the chain and the GS-1000s make of it or spin it, however they will.

[Think. Again.]

7. Yes, that's why having dishonest (rightwing)...

...directors of these important agencies is so very dangerous.

With them acting as the gatekeepers of the real information, they can do worse damage than anyone working below them collecting that real information.

I think it's a very bad idea to take Christopher Wray at his word about anything. For all we know, he could be the one working WITH the Chinese on any cyber threat they might be trying to achieve.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. Wray was brought in by 45 in 2017 after Comey was fired, and he has 3 more years for the term

The issue is that MORE Democrats need to get off their asses and vote in states like MS for example (that is 39% black) to remove the GOP trash out of the Senate, giving us a better margin of votes there to be able to CONFIRM someone who is not RW-birthed.

Otherwise we are stuck with right-leaning compromise people in positions like this.

[Think. Again.]

17. Absolutely!

We need more folks to understand the true dangers of rightwing appointments like Wray!

[BigOleDummy]

13. Read "The Spike"...

... if you haven't. While written by and for a right leaning journalist its a real eye opening account of just how these gatekeepers can shape public perceptions. Very good novel in fact, read it years ago.

[Think. Again.]

19. Thanks! yes, theycre far more dangerous than just "figureheads".

[Ocelot II]

27. Wray isn't responsible for the data; he's just reporting what the agency found.

And the agency is staffed by career civil servants, not political appointees; those civil servants, not Wray, are the people who collected and analyzed the data - which would be the same whether reported by Wray or by an FBI director appointed by Biden.

[Think. Again.]

37. That is very true...

...as director of the FBI he doesn't do the field work to collect the data, his top position only gives him the ultimate authority to sift through that data, emphasize what he wants to, downplay what he wants to, make extremely important decisions that affect the entire nation using that data , etc, oh and "just reporting what the agency found" too when he isn't busy and wants to give his communication dept. a break, too.

[SKKY]

8. Everyone who works in IT should read "The Dragon's Quantum Leap" by Timothy Thomas...

China has been dealing with the US in the same manner you give medicine to a cat. There are really only 3 ways.

1. You can hide the medicine in its food, but eventually it will smell the medicine and not eat the food.
2. You can hold it down and shove it down its throat, but you'll get scratched all to hell and very little medicine will end up in the cat.
3. You can simply sprinkle the medicine on its fur, and the cat's instincts will take over.

Guess which one China chose?

[Irish_Dem]

10. Yes China has been infusing the US with malicious attacks for some time now.

[littlemissmartypants]

11. I give up. No. 3?

[BumRushDaShow]

16. Example

https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/san-francisco-mayor-announces-city-receive-pandas-china-109415610

[SKKY]

38. Look at where the vast majority of all our IT equipment is made.

...Do we know about everything about every component? Have we analyzed every line of code? Yet, every 18 months a huge number of Americans upgrade their Chinese-made smart phone, and every 3 years, many companies refresh their IT gear. Where is all of that stuff made?

[littlemissmartypants]

39. My phone wasn't made in China. Thankfully. ❤️

[SKKY]

40. Nor was mine, but I'm pretty certain there are Chinese parts in it...

...My S23 Ultra says it was made in South Korea, but still, no doubt some parts for it were sourced in China.

[Irish_Dem]

12. When China attacks Taiwan they plan to hit the US infrastructure as well

if the US tries to intervene.

[Rebl2]

25. I think

they will hit both simultaneously.

[Irish_Dem]

30. They would like to do this.

But it is risky. It increases the chances of a severe US retaliation.
And it might not slow down the military response.

But it might slow it down enough.
Beijing believes it only needs three days to capture Taiwan.
Maybe 48 hours.

[ananda]

15. OK, elephant inthe room. If..

they know this, why aren't we making our systems
hackproof?

[BumRushDaShow]

18. Not only is that difficult to do

but costs a lot of $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$

There is very little that is "hack proof" (even if it is completely off the internet in a secure room... as long as you have the potential for a "bad actor" willing to do an "inside job" ).

[Think. Again.]

20. One hint: Christopher Wray.

[Rebl2]

24. I really

don’t think they care or don’t know how.

[hueymahl]

23. Just in time for the FISA vote

That's . . . . . convenient.

[Marcus IM]

28. Did China force our dependence on them on us?

Or is it that corporate and consumers don't give a shit about American labor?

Best Buy, Home Depot, Lowe's, etc, all have great sales on China made teevees, computers, fridges, washers and dryers, blenders, toasters, lamps, battery packs, etc etc etc.

Now they are our adversaries?

Gimme a break.

The US is more dependent on China than Cuba is.

[Irish_Dem]

31. Yes they did. Russia did the same thing with oil.

Forced world dependence on Russian oil.

But that plan did not work out very well after the invasion.
Putin thought it was enough to make everyone look away from the invasion.

It almost was a successful plan.
Biden had to twist arms in Europe, or they would have caved to Putin.

[Marcus IM]

33. All these plans need is willing players.

Play dumb games, win dumb prizes.

Americans were forced to buy Chinese made.
OK.

[Irish_Dem]

35. Americans want cheap goods no matter the danger it poses.

To ourselves, the planet and US national security.

[intrepidity]

41. Most Americans *need* things to be cheap. nt

[rockfordfile]

29. We need to make more things in USA

[Irish_Dem]

32. Biden is trying to do this.

[Marcus IM]

34. Please define "we".

The idea of capitalism is to maximize profits.

I've been called a commie and/or Marxist for suggesting something else.