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China At ‘Fever Pitch’ to Build Offensive Cyber Weapons

by Emmitt Barry, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Chinese hackers are intensifying their attempts to infiltrate critical U.S. infrastructure networks to position themselves for future sabotage according to FBI Director Christopher Wray.

In a speech at a prominent security conference in Germany over the weekend, Mr. Wray highlighted that the cyber threat from China, particularly targeting infrastructure, is not a recent development. He pointed out that state-sponsored Chinese hackers have been pre-positioning themselves within the networks of oil and natural gas companies since as early as 2011.

“But these days, it’s reached something closer to a fever pitch,” FBI Director Wray stated. “What we’re seeing now, is China‘s increasing build-out of offensive weapons within our critical infrastructure, poised to attack whenever Beijing decides the time is right,” Wray continued.

At the end of January, Mr. Wray told a Congressional House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party, warning of the escalation of Chinese cyberattacks against vital U.S. infrastructure, including electrical grids, pipelines, and critical cyber systems.

Over the weekend, he reiterated his previous statements, adding that the FBI and its allies successfully neutralized four Russian hacking factions, including a key operation by the GRU, the Kremlin’s military intelligence agency. However, Wray warned that the cyber threat from China is “massive” and its operations exceeds the collective operations of all nations’ combined.

On Monday in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning strongly contested Mr. Wray’s remarks, accusing the United States of being the foremost global perpetrator of state-sponsored hacking and cyber espionage.

“Without valid evidence, the U.S. jumped to an unwarranted conclusion and made groundless accusations against China. It is extremely irresponsible and is a complete distortion of facts,” Ms. Ning told reporters at a press briefing in Beijing. “In fact, it is the U.S. Cyber Force Command that openly declared that the critical infrastructure of other countries is a legitimate target for U.S. cyberattacks.”

In the past, Chinese officials have criticized the FBI director for exaggerating the cyber threat as a means to increase his agency’s influence and budget.