Chinese Hackers Infiltrate Critical US Systems in Volt Typhoon Campaign, Targeting Infrastructure

 

Hacking groups affiliated with China have successfully targeted crucial infrastructure assets in the United States, including power and water utilities, according to a report by The Washington Post. The hackers, associated with China's People's Liberation Army (PLA), have breached the computer systems of at least two dozen critical entities over the past year, including a water utility in Hawaii, a port on the US West Coast, and an oil and gas pipeline.

The report suggests that these intrusions are part of a broader campaign by China to sow chaos, induce panic, and disrupt logistics in the United States. Notably, attempts were made to breach Texas' independent power grid.

This information sheds light on China's Volt Typhoon cyber campaign, initially identified by the US government approximately a year ago. While none of the infiltrations disrupted critical functions, concerns have been raised about the attack on Hawaii, where the US Pacific Fleet is stationed. Officials believe that China's interest in Hawaii aims to complicate US efforts to deploy troops to the region in the event of a conflict over Taiwan.

Brandon Wales, executive director of the Department of Homeland Security's Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), emphasized the shift in China's cyber activity strategy. He stated that Chinese attempts to compromise critical infrastructure indicate a change from previous focus on political and economic espionage to the current goal of pre-positioning for potential disruption during a conflict.

The report details the hackers' techniques, highlighting their use of devices such as home or office routers to mask their tracks. Their primary objective was to steal employee credentials, enabling them to operate as normal users and establish persistent access.

Joe McReynolds, a China security studies fellow at the Jamestown Foundation, explained the significance of Hawaii, noting that any disruption on the island of Oahu, where the Pacific Fleet is based, could hinder the timely activation of the US Navy for critical movements to assist Taiwan.