According to a published public cybersecurity warning, Chinese hackers have at times secretly hidden in U.S. infrastructure for up to five years, ready to conduct a potentially destructive cyberattack if the two countries were to go to war, federal agencies said Wednesday. Over the past year, U.S. officials have issued repeated warnings that hackers working for China’s intelligence services keep gaining stealthy access to U.S. infrastructure.
The report doesn’t name any specific victims, but said the “PRC state-sponsored” hackers have targeted key infrastructure, “primarily in Communications, Energy, Transportation Systems, and Waste and Wastewater Systems Sectors — in the continental and non-continental United States and its territories.”
Because of how stealthy the hackers’ tactics are, making it difficult for owners of infrastructure companies to know they’ve been hacked. The report is the first public indication that China’s hackers have been working at the project for so long, or that they’ve gained access for so many years without being noticed.
Jeffrey Newman is a whistleblower lawyer and his firm represents whistleblowers in healthcare fraud under the False Claims Act (FCA) also whistleblowers under the SEC whistleblower program and CFTC whistleblower program. He can be reached at Jeff@JeffNewmanLaw.com or at 617-823-3217
