FBI Director warns of future cyber attacks from China
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WASHINGTON (NEXSTAR) — FBI Director Christopher Wray is sounding the alarm that China may be gearing up for some major cyber attacks on U.S. infrastructure and during the upcoming presidential election.
“The PRC has a bigger hacking program than that of every major nation combined,” Wray said.
Wray and other officials told House lawmakers, U.S. infrastructure is already a prime target for Chinese hackers.
“Our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines,” Wray said.
He warned there isn’t enough attention on the issue and called it “the defining threat of our generation.”
Rep. Mike Gallagher (R-Wis.) says he’s worried China’s force of hackers outnumbers the U.S.’ resources.
“If you focused all of the FBI’s cyber professionals on the China threat, we would still be at what sort of disadvantage?” Gallagher asked.
“We would be at a disadvantage of at least fifty to one,” Wray answered.
Rep. Seth Moulton (D-Mass.) says the U.S. needs to make an effort to grow its cyber security workforce.
“We need more cyber experts to serve our country,” Moulton said.
“The future of our nation, the future of our economy is tied so closely to the future of our ability to operate in cyberspace,” General Paul Nakasone, Commander of United States Cyber Command said.
China has called allegations from the U.S. baseless and says they’re the victims of cyber attacks from the U.S.
Still, Wray warns future cyber attacks from China could “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities.”
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