Beijing’s Increasing Cyber Threat: Gaining Access to US Critical Infrastructure and Exploiting Vulnerabilities in Wastewater and Communication Networks

Beijing has been increasing its efforts to gain access to critical infrastructure in the United States, according to General Timothy D. Haugh, director of the National Security Agency. This move is seen as a threat to potentially disrupt or shut down critical infrastructure near military bases, causing chaos and slowing the response time to a crisis in the Pacific region or Taiwan.

China’s cyber attacks on Guam and continental US were part of an effort known as Volt Typhoon, which involved Chinese hackers using stealthier techniques to break into systems like wastewater and communication networks. General Haugh emphasized that China was establishing access to these systems before a direct confrontation between the two countries.

China is viewed as an urgent military threat by General Haugh, due to its increasing sophistication in cyber capabilities. He also highlighted Beijing’s campaign to expand its global dominance and its efforts to develop a modernized force by 2027, which can be used against Taiwan. Haugh stressed the importance of confronting China below the level of armed conflict, particularly in the cyber realm.

While General Haugh did not discuss specific Cyber Command operations inside China, he mentioned that the military has been working hard to disrupt Chinese cyber attacks against the US and halt the spread of malware and ransomware. He emphasized that China has a deliberate campaign to gain advantage across all aspects of national power and poses a real threat to US national security.