FBI Director Christopher Wray provided information about the Volt Typhoon crackdown on January 31 while testifying at a congressional committee on US-China competition. At the same time, the US Department of Justice also issued a statement about this operation, according to AFP.
In May 2023, the US and its allies accused Volt Typhoon of being a Chinese government- sponsored hacker group that had infiltrated the networks of critical infrastructure in the US. Beijing has denied these allegations.
"Just this morning, we announced an operation in which we and our partners identified hundreds of routers that had been compromised by a Chinese state-sponsored hacker group called Volt Typhoon," Wray told US lawmakers.
Mr. Wray testified at the US House of Representatives on January 31.
Mr Wray said the Volt Typhoon malware allowed China to “hide pre-operational reconnaissance” in its cyberattack efforts. Sectors targeted included communications, energy, transportation and water.
According to Mr. Wray, this hacker group is ready to "cause havoc and harm to citizens and communities in the United States in real life".
“If and when China decides it is time to strike, it will not focus solely on political or military targets. Low-level attacks on civilians are part of China’s plan,” the FBI director said.
The access Volt Typhoon seeks to the networks of US infrastructure is something China “could use as leverage in a future crisis,” said Assistant Attorney General Matthew Olsen, who works in the agency’s national security division.
In a statement on January 31, the US Department of Justice said that the operation of the authorities to stop the above hackers was authorized by a federal court in the state of Texas.
The Chinese government did not immediately comment on Mr. Wray's remarks or the Justice Department's statement.
Also on January 31, the US added more than 10 Chinese companies to a list drawn up by the Pentagon, which groups entities that Washington believes are collaborating with Beijing’s military, according to Reuters. This is seen as part of a broader effort to prevent US technology from falling into Chinese hands.
The new names on the list, posted on the US Department of Defense website, include memory chip maker YMTC, artificial intelligence company Megvii, lidar maker Hesai Technology (HSAI.O) and technology company NetPosa.
A spokesperson for the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC said China opposed the move, calling it an abuse of state power and saying it went against "the United States' supposed commitment to market competition and fair international trade."
Source link
Comment (0)