FBI Director Christopher Wray warned on Thursday that Chinese cyber gangs were preparing for significant attacks on crucial US infrastructure.
According to Reuters, Wray made the remarks while speaking at Vanderbilt University’s Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats. He warned that these cyber groups were only waiting for an opportunity to deal a “devastating blow.”
He notably warned about the Volt Typhoon, an ongoing cyber campaign that he claimed had infiltrated important American water, electricity, and communications companies. China denies any connection between its government and the operation.
Wray indicated that Beijing was developing the ability to “land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic.”
His words follow warnings he issued to Congress during a hearing in January when he stated that China “has a bigger hacking program than that of every major nation combined.”
“If you took every single one of the FBI’s cyber agents and intelligence analysts and focused them exclusively on the China threat, China’s hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber personnel by at least 50 to one,” he said in a statement.
Geopolitical tensions between Beijing and Washington remain high, owing to Chinese desire to dominate Taiwan. The Republic of China governs the island, which has remained virtually independent of the mainland since nationalist forces withdrew to Taiwan in 1949 after losing the Chinese Civil War.
Both Asian governments agree in principle on the existence of a single, unified Chinese state that incorporates their respective territories, albeit each claims the mantle.
Furthermore, American security services are concerned about more than just Chinese hackers. Last year, a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon flew through American airspace, generating significant media attention before being shot down by the military off the coast of the Carolinas.