Spy Chiefs Say China Getting Bolder, Better in Cyberspace
China has long ranked at or near the top of U.S. national security officials’ list of cyber adversaries. On Wednesday, spy agency leaders warned that China is getting even bolder and better in cyberspace.
The spies say that if China believed that it was on the verge of a major conflict with us, they might launch a major cyber attack according to the worldwide threat assessment that the intelligence community releases every year.
The reason for launching such an attack might be to impede the decision making process, introduce panic and even interfering with the deployment of the military.
The spies say that they are confident that China is capable of launching cyberattacks that could disrupt critical infrastructure services in the United States. We have already seen attacks against pipelines, the water supply and other infrastructure.
“In brief, the [Chinese Communist Party] represents both the leading and most consequential threat to U.S. national security and leadership globally, and its intelligence-specific ambitions and capabilities make it for us our most serious and consequential intelligence rival,” Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines said at the Senate Intelligence Committee hearing.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/09/china-getting-bolder-better-cyberspace-spy-chiefs-warn/
The FBI said that China has the largest hacking program in the world.
More importantly, they are good at getting better.
And, China is in it for the long haul. According to the NSA:
National Security Agency Cybersecurity Director Rob Joyce often compares Russia to a hurricane and China to climate change. In cyberspace, Russia tends to emphasize disruption, while China’s approach is “long, slow, pervasive,” Joyce has argued.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/09/china-getting-bolder-better-cyberspace-spy-chiefs-warn/
They are also getting more aggressive. According to General Nakasone:
“We see an increasing degree of risk-taking that they have undergone with regards to stealing our property, even increasing their influence operations,” Nakasone told the panel.
For example, China demonstrated an interest in meddling in the 2022 U.S. midterms, in a break from its past. Russia, of course, famously interfered in the 2016 presidential race and has maintained influence operations in subsequent elections.
China has “stolen more of our personal corporate data that every other nation, big or small, combined,” Wray said.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2023/03/09/china-getting-bolder-better-cyberspace-spy-chiefs-warn/
Suffice it to say, this is a real problem and China is not going stop any time soon. While China is the leading concern, there are other countries in the mix too. That means we need to up our game to make it harder for them. Need help? Call us.
Credit: Washington Post
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