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☆ US intel chief says she can’t rule out possibility that China will use TikTok to influence 2024 elections
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-12 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —US intelligence officials “cannot rule out” the possibility that the Chinese government will use TikTok to influence the 2024 US elections, Director of National Intelligence Avril Haines told lawmakers on Tuesday. “We regularly take action against deceptive behavior, including covert influence networks throughout the world, and have been transparent in reporting them publicly,” a TikTok spokesperson told CNN. China is showing “a higher degree of sophistication in its influence activity,” including by experimenting with generative artificial intelligence, according to the report. The Chinese government routinely denies US allegations of election influence. “Even if Beijing sets limits on these activities, individuals not under its direct supervision may attempt election influence activities they perceive are in line with Beijing’s goals.”

Persons: National Intelligence Avril Haines, Haines, “, ”, TikTok, Christopher Wray, Wray, ByteDance, Moscow’s, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden Organizations: CNN, National Intelligence, Intelligence, U.S, Republican, Facebook, Twitter, Capitol, House Intelligence Committee, Foreign Ministry Locations: China, Russia, Iran, New York, Washington, Los Angeles, U.S, Beijing

☆ The Justice Department reportedly opened a criminal investigation into the Alaska Airlines door blowout
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Cameron Manley | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

The DoJ opened a criminal investigation into the Boeing 737 blowout, The Wall Street Journal reported. AdvertisementThe Department of Justice has reportedly opened a criminal probe into the Boeing jetliner blowout that left a hole in the side of an Alaska Airlines plane in January. Citing unnamed sources, The Wall Street Journal reported on Saturday that DoJ investigators had contacted passengers and crew members who were on the Boeing 737 Max 9. Alaska Airlines said in a statement: "In an event like this, it's normal for the DoJ to be conducting an investigation. However, the NTSB is still unsure about who removed and replaced the door panel, Homendy said Wednesday.

Persons: —, Ed Wray, Jennifer Homendy, Homendy Organizations: DoJ, Boeing, Street Journal, Alaska Airlines, Service, of Justice, Street, Business Insider, Lion Air, Seattle Times, National Transportation Safety, NTSB, Spirit, Aviation Administration, FAA Locations: Portland , Oregon

☆ US intelligence report states Netanyahu’s viability to lead Israel is in jeopardy
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-11 | by ( Katie Bo Lillis | Michael Conte | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +7 min

CNN —The US intelligence community assesses Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s “viability as a leader” to be “in jeopardy,” according to its annual report on the national security threats facing the United States that was presented to Congress on Monday. The intelligence report notes that the Israeli population broadly supports the destruction of Hamas. It offers an around-the-world unclassified snapshot of how the intelligence community views the panoply of national security threats facing the United States. Beijing, according to the report, has more than tripled its export of goods with potential military use to Russia since Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine in 2022. China has provided “economy and security assistance to Russia’s war in Ukraine through support to Russia’s defense industrial base, including by providing dual-use material and components for weapons,” the report states.

Persons: Benjamin Netanyahu’s, ”, ” Netanyahu, Joe Biden, Biden, Netanyahu, Israel, “, Chris Wray, I’ve, ” Wray, Sen, Mark Warner of, Republican Sen, Jim Risch of, ” Warner, ” Risch, “ I’ve, National Intelligence Avril Haines, Bill Burns, Burns, Ukraine “, you’re, ” Burns Organizations: CNN, ISIS, Hamas, Senate, Congressional, Republican, Warner, Democratic, National Intelligence, CIA Locations: United States, Israel, Gaza, Mark Warner of Virginia, Jim Risch of Idaho, Ukraine, Russia, Beijing, Moscow, China

☆ Ex-Google software engineer charged with stealing AI technology while working with Chinese companies
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

A former software engineer at Google has been charged with stealing artificial intelligence technology from the company while secretly working with two companies based in China, the Justice Department said Wednesday. "The theft of innovative technology and trade secrets from American companies can cost jobs and have devastating economic and national security consequences." Within weeks of the theft starting, prosecutors say, Ding was offered the position of chief technology officer at an early-stage technology company in China that touted its use of AI technology. The indictment says Ding traveled to China and participated in investor meetings at the company and sought to raise capital for it. Three days later, Google officials learned that he had presented as CEO of one of the Chinese companies at an investor conference in Beijing.

Persons: Linwei Ding, Ding, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Lisa Monaco, Wray Organizations: Google, Justice Department, American Bar Association Conference, Department, Technology, Force, Northern District of, supercomputing, Prosecutors Locations: China, Newark , California, San Francisco, People's Republic of China, United States, Northern District, Northern District of California, Beijing

☆ 'Cyber-physical attacks' fueled by AI are a growing threat, experts say
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-03 | by ( Kevin Williams | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

He said with the widespread arrival of generative AI, concerns about physical attacks being the next phase of cybercrime have grown. He added that the technology, now boosted by AI, exists to wreak havoc on physical systems. Attacks on physical infrastructure would be tantamount to war, and so far, that is something nation-states have avoided. Experts, though, vary on the threat level from cyber-physical attacks and how much AI is raising it. But while she views the threat of AI-assisted cyber-physical attacks as growing, she said AI also assists the good guys.

Persons: Stuart Madnick, Christopher Wray, —, Madnick, don't, Tim Chase, CISO, Chase, Sivan Tehila, Tehila, Michael Kenney, Matthew B Organizations: Cybersecurity, MIT Sloan, FBI, Congress, Katz School of Science and Health, Yeshiva University, Israel Defense Forces, . University of Pittsburgh, Ridgway Center for International Security Locations: United States

☆ US officials combing leaked documents from Chinese tech firm for clues about Chinese hacking campaigns
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +6 min

CNN —US officials have been scouring a trove of newly leaked documents from a Chinese tech firm for clues on how the government in Beijing allegedly uses the company in extensive hacking campaigns, multiple US cybersecurity officials familiar with the matter told CNN. The documents, posted anonymously online last weekend for anyone to access, include screenshots of chat logs, as well as records of employees and Chinese government clients of the tech firm I-Soon. “This is some of the best visibility we’ve had into Chinese hacking operations outside of a government SCIF,” said Adam Kozy, who used to track Chinese hackers for the FBI, using an acronym for classified facilities. In a leaked marketing presentation, I-Soon touted its participation in an unspecified hacking project for China’s Ministry of Public Security in 2018. The project “achieved significant results” and received “recognition and praise” from Chinese officials, according to a presentation slide.

Persons: Biden, ”, Adam Kozy, I’m, ” Liu Pengyu, Wu Haibo, Beijing’s, Christopher Wray, Dakota Cary, ” GitHub, “, Wu, Obama, Xi Jinping, Adam Meyers, CrowdStrike, Meyers Organizations: CNN, FBI, Embassy, Telecom, China’s Ministry of Public Security, US Justice Department, US Locations: Beijing, Taiwan, India, Hong, Sichuan, China, Washington ,, Shanghai, Dakota, Asia, South Korea, Kazakhstan, Afghanistan

☆ As China Expands Its Hacking Operations, a Vulnerability Emerges
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-22 | by ( Julian E. Barnes | David E. Sanger | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

The Chinese hacking tools made public in recent days illustrate how much Beijing has expanded the reach of its computer infiltration campaigns through the use of a network of contractors, as well as the vulnerabilities of its emerging system. The new revelations underscore the degree to which China has ignored, or evaded, American efforts for more than a decade to curb its extensive hacking operations. Instead, China has both built the cyberoperations of its intelligence services and developed a spider web of independent companies to do the work. Last weekend in Munich, Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. cyberpersonnel by at least 50 to one,” he said.

Persons: Christopher A, Wray, we’d, ” Locations: Beijing, China, Munich, United States

☆ Biden administration to issue new cyber directives aimed at defending ports
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-21 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The Biden administration on Wednesday will issue multiple cybersecurity directives aimed at shoring up vulnerabilities at US maritime ports that could be exploited by hackers and addressing security risks from Chinese-made cranes, according to senior US officials. There are more than 200 Chinese-made cranes at “US ports and regulated facilities,” according to Vann. Coast Guard cyber experts have done security assessments and hunted for malicious cyber activity on 92, or less than half, of those cranes, he said. Among the targets of the hacking was US critical infrastructure in Guam, and the Coast Guard has been on the frontlines of response to the digital intrusions. US maritime ports generate trillions of dollars in economy activity each year, according to experts.

Persons: CNN —, Biden, Joe Biden, John Vann, Vann, ” Vann, Christopher Wray, Wray, ”, Anne Neuberger Organizations: CNN, Coast Guard, Coast Guard Cyber Command, China, White, Port Locations: Vann, China, Guam, Port of Houston

☆ Chinese hackers' cyberattacks are reaching a 'fever pitch': FBI director
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-16 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

FBI chief Christopher Wray says Chinese cyberattacks are becoming a serious problem. Wray told Congress in January that China's hackers outnumber FBI cyber agents by at least 50 to 1. AdvertisementCyberattacks that Chinese hackers orchestrate on the US are reaching a "fever pitch," says FBI director Christopher Wray. Wray was speaking at the Munich Security Conference on Thursday, where he flagged the massive cyber threat posed by China. AdvertisementLast month, Wray told Congress that the US needed to invest in its cyber capabilities to manage the Chinese cyber threat better.

Persons: Christopher Wray, It's, Wray, —, it's, Richard Moore, Moore, Politico's Anne McElvoy Organizations: Munich Security, Service, Munich, FBI, US Locations: China

☆ US and allies disrupt Russian cyber espionage operation against US and Europe, FBI chief says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-15 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —The FBI and its international allies disrupted a network of over 1,000 hacked internet routers that Russia’s military intelligence agency was using for cyber espionage operations against the United States and its European allies, FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday. The US has new intelligence on Russian military capabilities related to its efforts to deploy a nuclear anti-satellite system in space, CNN reported Wednesday. Wray’s announcement is the latest move by the FBI to use court orders to try to stifle complex hacking operations from Russian spy agencies. US intelligence agencies also use hacking operations to try to thwart Russia, China and other rival governments. But unlike the FBI’s court-authorized work, details of those US cyber operations rarely, if ever, are made public.

Persons: Christopher Wray, ” Wray, Wray, “ we’ve, Weeks, Russia’s Organizations: CNN, FBI, Munich Security Conference, Justice Department, Russian Embassy, US, “ Locations: United States, Russian, Washington , DC, Munich, Russia, China, Beijing, Ukraine, “ Russia

☆ Top House China hawk to retire, opening seat in battleground Wisconsin
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-10 | by ( Rebecca Picciotto | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

His seat in Wisconsin's 8th congressional district is particularly valuable, given the state's battleground status and House Republicans' current rail-thin majority. Despite occasional resistance to his party, Gallagher is still an essential GOP vote representing a key swing state. Trump won Wisconsin in 2016 but lost it to President Joe Biden in 2020. In 2022, Gallagher won roughly 72% of the vote against several third-party candidates but no formal Democrat opponent. He was also appointed to the helm of the House's high-profile China committee, which was created at the start of last year.

Persons: Mike Gallagher, Gallagher, Alejandro Mayorkas, Donald Trump's, Trump, Joe Biden, Gallagher's, Kristin Lyerly, Christopher Wray Organizations: U.S, Capitol, Chinese Communist Party, Marine Corps, House Republicans, Homeland, Trump, Wisconsin, Badger, Democrat, Democratic, GOP, CCP Locations: Wisconsin's, Wisconsin, Washington, China

(AP) — One state lawmaker wants Nebraska to take measures to protect it from cyberattacks. State Sen. Loren Lippincott presented a bill Thursday to the Legislature's government committee that would give the Nebraska State Patrol $200,000 to hire “an ethical hacker.” The hacker would spend his or her days trying to break into the state’s computer network, as well as election equipment and software, to find any vulnerabilities in those systems. His bill also would allow hiring a security company that provide hackers to find weaknesses in the state's system. Lippincott presented the bill on the heels of FBI Director Christopher Wray's warning that Chinese government hackers are targeting critical U.S. infrastructure, including water treatment plants, the electrical grid and transportation systems. If advanced, they would have to survive three rounds of debate to be passed in Nebraska's unique one-chamber Legislature.

Persons: LINCOLN, cyberattacks, Sen, Loren Lippincott, Lippincott, ” Lippincott, Christopher Wray's, “ Organizations: Nebraska State Patrol, Security, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency, cybersecurity Locations: Neb, Nebraska, Missouri, Georgia

☆ Who Is Robert Hur, Special Counsel on Biden Classified Document Probe?
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-08 | by ( Feb. | At P.M. | ) www.usnews.com time to read: +2 min

By Kanishka SinghWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Robert Hur, the special counsel appointed to investigate whether President Joe Biden improperly handled sensitive government documents, is a former high-ranking Justice Department official with experience in prosecuting sensitive leak investigations. On Thursday, he concluded that probe and found that Biden retained classified materials about Afghanistan after leaving the vice presidency in 2017 but said he will not be criminally charged. Hur was appointed by Donald Trump in 2018 as the chief federal law enforcement officer in Maryland and left that position in early 2021. Under Hur, the Maryland U.S. attorney's office prosecuted the case of former National Security Agency contractor Harold Martin, who stole huge amounts of classified material from U.S. intelligence agencies. A graduate of Stanford Law School and Harvard College, Hur served as top aide to then-Deputy Attorney General Rod Rosenstein before his appointment as the U.S. attorney in Maryland.

Persons: Kanishka Singh WASHINGTON, Robert Hur, Joe Biden, Biden, General Merrick Garland, Hur, Trump, Gibson, Dunn, Garland, Washington . Hur, Donald Trump, Harold Martin, Martin, Rod Rosenstein, William Rehnquist, Christopher Wray, Kanishka Singh, Gram Slattery, Heather Timmons, Jonathan Oatis, Lisa Shumaker Organizations: U.S, Maryland U.S, National Security Agency, Stanford Law School, Harvard College, Supreme, Justice Department, FBI Locations: Afghanistan, U.S, Maryland, Delaware, Washington

☆ Chinese hackers have lurked in some US infrastructure systems for ‘at least five years’
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-07 | by ( Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +4 min

The report would be the most detailed disclosure yet by the US government of the hackers’ stealthy techniques, one aimed at helping private owners of critical infrastructure spot the Chinese hackers in their networks. The hackers’ presence in critical US networks has sparked a monthslong effort by US national security officials to kick the hackers out. The report, which US officials are set to release this week, makes clear that the Chinese hackers’ activity began much earlier than previously known, with the hackers scoping and accessing IT systems years ago. The Beijing-backed hackers have been probing systems that control heating, cooling and water, access that, if exploited, could allow them to manipulate those systems and cause “significant infrastructure failures,” the report says. Canada’s cybersecurity agency “assesses that the direct threat to Canada’s critical infrastructure” from the Chinese hackers “is likely lower” than that to US infrastructure, but that Canada would still likely still be affected by a disruption to US infrastructure due to “cross-border integration,” the document says.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Canada’s, “ Organizations: CNN, FBI, US, Embassy, National Security Agency, Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Security Agency Locations: Beijing, China, Taiwan, Washington ,, Guam, Australia, Canada, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Pacific

☆ CNBC Special Podcast: China’s Corporate Spy War
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-06 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: 1 min

CNBC Documentaries examines the case of a Chinese government spy who tried to steal trade secrets from some of America's biggest companies, including GE, Boeing and Honeywell. Correspondent Eamon Javers talks with prosecutors, intelligence experts and government officials, including the Director of the FBI, Christopher Wray — all of whom say the case is an example of China's desire to dominate global markets through any means necessary, including stealing technology from the heart of corporate America. In this special podcast series, Javers explores the shadowy world of spies and the industrial battle space that has millions of U.S. jobs on the line. "China's Corporate Spy War" originally aired on CNBC in June 2023. To watch China's Corporate Spy War and other CNBC Documentaries go to: https://www.cnbc.com/documentaries/

Persons: Eamon Javers, Christopher Wray —, Javers, China's Organizations: CNBC, GE, Boeing, Honeywell, FBI Locations: America

☆ Trump suggests he would consider a tariff upward of 60% on all Chinese imports if reelected
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-04 | by ( Kate Sullivan | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

CNN —Former President Donald Trump said Sunday he would consider imposing a tariff upward of 60% on all Chinese imports if he regains the presidency. His remarks come at a time of high economic and other tensions between the US and China. “No, I would say maybe it’s going to be more than that,” Trump said when asked by Fox News’ Maria Bartiromo whether he would consider imposing a 60% tariff, as The Washington Post has reported. As president, Trump slapped tariffs of 25% on $50 billion of Chinese goods in June 2018. But FBI Director Christopher Wray warned Wednesday that Chinese hackers are preparing to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm” to the US.

Persons: Donald Trump, ” Trump, Maria Bartiromo, Trump, Biden, “, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Christopher Wray, Xi, ” China’s, reunify, CNN’s Jack Forrest, Brad Lendon Organizations: CNN, Fox News, Washington Post, Trump, Party, Taiwan, Taiwan Relations Locations: China, Beijing, Taiwan

☆ Illicit Iranian programs targeted by sanctions and criminal charges, US says
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-02 | by ( Michael Conte | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

Washington CNN —The US announced a number of measures including sanctions and criminal charges targeting a range of malicious Iranian initiatives, including their cyberwarfare and drone programs, as well as Iran’s alleged illegal oil trafficking to fund foreign terrorist organizations. Earlier in the day, the Treasury Department announced sanctions against several Iran- and Hong Kong-based companies for allegedly supporting Iran’s drone program and missile production. The three alleged front companies in Hong Kong and an Iranian subsidiary allegedly obtained components, such as engines and carburetors, for Iran’s drone program. Treasury also announced sanctions targeting the head of Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps Cyber–Electronic Command and five other senior officials for alleged cyberattacks against critical infrastructure in the US and other countries. That’s a reference to a series of hacks that defaced computers at multiple water utilities in the US in November.

Persons: Biden, ”, General Merrick Garland, Christopher Wray, Brian Nelson, Matthew Miller, That’s, ” John Hultquist, Mandiant, CNN’s Hannah Rabinowitz Organizations: Washington CNN, US, Justice Department, Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, Department, DOJ, FBI, Treasury Department, Treasury, Terrorism, Financial, Command, Google, CNN, Boston Children’s Hospital Locations: Iran, Jordan, Omani, ”, Washington ,, United States, Hong Kong, Iranian, Israel, Boston, Tehran

☆ FBI: 'Financial sextortion' of teens is a 'rapidly escalating threat.' How parents can protect their kids
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Greg Iacurci | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

Cavan Images | Cavan | Getty Images"Financial sextortion," a type of cybercrime that targets teens and tweens, is on the rise. "Sextortion is a rapidly escalating threat," FBI Director Christopher Wray told the Senate Judiciary Committee in December. Financial sextortion is the fastest-growing crime targeting children in North America and Australia, according to the Network Contagion Research Institute. Wealthy parents are more likely to be lenient about social media use. How to protect your kids from sextortion

Persons: Christopher Wray, Sen, Dick Durbin, Criminals, Tracy Kitten, Kitten, didn't, Oladosu, sextortion Organizations: Getty, FBI, Finance, Network, Research, Yahoo Boys, Meta, Strategy, U.S, YouTube Locations: Cavan, North America, Australia, African, U.S, Nigerian, bitcoin, sextortion

☆ Chinese hackers would outnumber FBI cyber agents by 50 to 1 even if the agency threw all its resources at China: FBI chief
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Kwan Wei Kevin Tan | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +1 min

China's hacking capabilities dwarf the FBI's, says FBI chief Christopher Wray. "The PRC has a bigger hacking program than every other major nation combined," Wray told Congress. Wray said Chinese hackers outnumber the FBI's cyber agents by at least 50 to 1. AdvertisementThe FBI is outnumbered and outgunned when it comes to tackling China's hackers, says FBI director Christopher Wray. "In fact, if each one of the FBI's cyber agents and intelligence analysts focused exclusively on the China threat, China's hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber personnel by at least 50 to 1," Wray continued.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Wray, — Organizations: FBI, Service, Business Locations: China

☆ Chinese hackers are preparing to 'wreak havoc' on US electrical grids, water treatment plants, and oil and gas pipelines: FBI director
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Tom Porter | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Read previewFBI Director Christopher Wray warned that Chinese hackers are targeting critical US infrastructure in a bid to potentially "wreak havoc" on the lives of ordinary Americans in testimony to Congress. Speaking to the House Select Committee on the Chinese Communist Party on Wednesday, Wray said that China is seeking to infiltrate electrical grids, water treatment plants, oil and gas networks, and transport systems. AdvertisementWray's testimony comes after the Justice Department announced that it had disrupted a group of Chinese hackers who infiltrated old routers belonging to private citizens and small businesses. The sole purpose is to be ready to destroy American infrastructure, which would inevitably result in chaos, confusion, and potentially mass casualties." The House select committee Wray testified to was created to counter the intensified threat posed by China, a rare example of bipartisan consensus amid Washington's stark partisan divides.

Persons: —, Christopher Wray, Wray, They're, Joe Biden, Xi Jinping, Mike Gallagher Organizations: Service, Chinese Communist Party, Business, Justice Department, FBI, CNN Locations: China, San Francisco, Taiwan, Ukraine, South China, Wisconsin

☆ Wray’s stunning warning points to a new age of US vulnerability
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Stephen Collinson | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +9 min

“The CCP’s dangerous actions, China’s multi-pronged assault on our national and economic security, make it the defining threat of our generation,” Wray said. Xi promised Biden China wouldn’t interfere in the 2024 presidential election at that meeting, CNN reported exclusively this week. The high-level diplomatic contacts continued last week when national security adviser Jake Sullivan met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Bangkok. “This is the cyberspace equivalent of placing bombs on American bridges, water treatment facilities and power plants,” he said. “If you have a cyberattack on that sort of technology, it could affect all signals at once,” Geddes said.

Persons: Christopher Wray, Rick Geddes, ”, Wray, Xi, ” Wray, Joe Biden, Biden, Biden China wouldn’t, Jake Sullivan, Wang Yi, Donald Trump, Kevin McCarthy, Mike Gallagher of, Raja Krishnamoorthi, Paul Nakasone, Gallagher, Geddes, ” Geddes Organizations: CNN, Cornell, Chinese Communist Party, Communist Party, CCP, South China, –, Capitol, Republican, Democrat, US Cyber Command, “ Locations: Washington, Beijing, United States, China, Taiwan, South, Xi Jinping’s China, California, Biden China, Bangkok, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin, Illinois

☆ Inside Impeachment’s Rise as a Weapon of Partisan Warfare
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-01 | by ( Peter Baker | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

But Mr. Mayorkas is not as lonely as all that. Republicans have also filed articles of impeachment against his boss, President Biden, as well as Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, Defense Secretary Lloyd J. Austin III, Attorney General Merrick B. Garland and Christopher A. Wray, the F.B.I. director, while threatening them against Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. Indeed, threats of impeachment have become a favorite pastime for Republicans following the lead of former President Donald J. Trump, who has pressed his allies for payback for his own two impeachments while in office. The chances of Mr. Mayorkas, much less Mr. Biden, ever being convicted in the Senate, absent some shocking revelation, seem to be just about zero, and the others appear in no serious danger even of being formally accused by the House.

Persons: impeaches Alejandro, Mayorkas, President Biden, Antony J, Lloyd J, Austin III, General Merrick B, Garland, Christopher A, Wray, Pete Buttigieg, Miguel Cardona, Donald J, Trump, Biden Organizations: Republicans, Transportation

WASHINGTON (AP) — Chinese government hackers are busily targeting water treatment plants, the electrical grid, transportation systems and other critical infrastructure inside the United States, FBI Director Chris Wray will tell House lawmakers on Wednesday in a fresh warning from Washington about Beijing's global ambitions. “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” Wray will say. The comments align with assessments from outside cybersecurity firms including Microsoft, which said in May that state-backed Chinese hackers have been targeting U.S. critical infrastructure and could be laying the technical groundwork for the potential disruption of critical communications between the U.S. and Asia during future crises. The following month, Mandiant said that suspected state-backed Chinese hackers had used a security hole in a popular email security appliance to break into the networks of hundreds of public and private sector organizations globally. The Chinese government has lashed out at the committee, demanding that its members “discard their ideological bias and zero-sum Cold War mentality.”

Persons: Chris Wray, Wray, “, ” Wray, Mandiant, they’re, Mike Gallagher of Organizations: WASHINGTON, Chinese Communist Party, Microsoft, U.S, Republican Rep Locations: United States, Washington, China, Asia, Mike Gallagher of Wisconsin

☆ China Is Targeting U.S. Infrastructure and Could ‘Wreak Chaos,’ F.B.I. Says
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Glenn Thrush | Adam Goldman | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +1 min

Christopher A. Wray, director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, warned on Wednesday that China was ramping up an extensive hacking operation geared at taking down the United States’ power grid, oil pipelines and water systems in the event of a conflict over Taiwan. Mr. Wray, appearing before a House subcommittee on China, offered an alarming assessment of the Chinese Communist Party’s efforts. Its intent is to sow confusion, sap the United States’ will to fight and hamper the American military from deploying resources if the dispute over Taiwan, a major flashpoint between the two superpowers, escalates into a war, he added. Before his testimony, F.B.I. “China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities, if or when China decides the time has come to strike,” said Mr. Wray, who pressed the committee to increase funding for the bureau.

Persons: Christopher A, Wray, ” Organizations: Federal Bureau of, Communist, Justice, Volt Typhoon Locations: China, United States, Taiwan, States, Beijing

☆ FBI director warns that Chinese hackers are preparing to ‘wreak havoc’ on US critical infrastructure
▼ + stars: | 2024-01-31 | by ( Hannah Rabinowitz | Sean Lyngaas | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +5 min

CNN —FBI Director Christopher Wray on Wednesday warned that Chinese hackers are preparing to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm” to the US. Chinese government-backed hackers, Wray said, are targeting things like water treatment plants, electrical infrastructure and oil and natural gas pipelines, Wray said. The Chinese hackers are working “to find and prepare to destroy or degrade the civilian critical infrastructure that keeps us safe and prosperous,” Wray said. The hearing comes in the wake of a big push by US and Chinese officials to ease tensions in the relationship between the two superpowers. We have made it easy on them,” Jen Easterly, who leads the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, told lawmakers.

Persons: Christopher Wray, “, ” Wray, Wray, Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Xi, “ China’s, Jen, Paul Nakasone, ” Nakasone, CNN’s Evan Perez Organizations: CNN, Chinese Communist Party, National Security Agency, Infrastructure Security Agency, FBI, Justice Department Locations: China, Taiwan, America

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