Speaking at the 2024 Vanderbilt Summit on Modern Conflict and Emerging Threats on April 18, 2024, the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), Christopher Wray, has raised alarms about the Chinese state’s intent to compromise U.S. critical infrastructure, thereby jeopardizing both economic and national security.
Targeting Critical Infrastructure
Wray emphasized that the People’s Republic of China (PRC) views all sectors vital to U.S. society as targets in its quest for global dominance.
This approach, according to Wray, involves low blows against civilian infrastructure to cause panic and weaken America’s resolve.
Wray detailed the Chinese state’s hybrid approach, which includes a mix of cybersecurity, counterintelligence, and criminal efforts.
These actions are motivated by the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) desire for wealth and power, and its goal to control areas crucial to the economy of the future.
Unrelenting Threats
The FBI director warned that the PRC’s targeting of U.S. critical infrastructure is extensive and relentless. The aim, he said, is to use mass and numbers to disrupt critical infrastructure whenever it chooses potentially.
Wray also referenced an ongoing hack attack known as Volt Typhoon, which has given hackers access to several U.S. companies, including pipeline operators. Despite China denying any connection to the attack, Wray insisted that it presents a significant threat.
Chinese Response
In response to the accusations, the Chinese embassy in Washington rejected any links between China and Volt Typhoon, stating that some in the U.S. have been using cyberattack origin tracing to frame China and politicize cybersecurity issues.
The situation underscores the need for heightened vigilance and security measures to safeguard U.S. critical infrastructure from potential cyber threats from the PRC.
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