Chinese government hackers are actively targeting critical infrastructure in the United States, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid, and transportation systems, FBI Director Chris Wray will warn House lawmakers on Wednesday.
In a new cautionary statement from Washington about Beijing’s global aspirations, Wray will highlight the cyber threat’s significant impact on “every American,” as per a copy of his prepared remarks before the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party.
Wray will emphasize that China’s hackers are strategically positioning themselves within American infrastructure, preparing to cause widespread harm to American citizens and communities whenever China deems it appropriate to launch an attack.
These remarks align with assessments from external cybersecurity firms, such as Microsoft, which, in May, reported state-backed Chinese hackers targeting U.S. critical infrastructure. These hackers could potentially disrupt essential communications between the U.S. and Asia during future crises.
In a similar vein, Mandiant revealed in the following month that suspected state-backed Chinese hackers exploited a security vulnerability in a widely-used email security appliance to infiltrate the networks of numerous public and private sector organizations globally.
For years, Wray and other senior U.S. officials have been consistently raising concerns not only about the Chinese government’s hacking capabilities but also about Beijing’s persistent efforts to steal scientific and industrial research from American businesses. Despite China dismissing these accusations as groundless, multiple criminal indictments have provided detailed evidence supporting the U.S. claims.