U.S. authorities search for Chinese malware that could disrupt military operations

U.S. authorities are searching for hidden Chinese malware in various defense systems that could disrupt military communications and resupply operations.

The administration believes that malicious computer code has been embedded within “networks that control power grids, communication systems, and water supply systems that serve military bases.”

The information comes from The New York Times.

The discovery has heightened concerns that hackers could “disrupt U.S. military operations in the event of a conflict,” according to The Times. The two nations are increasingly at odds over Taiwan and China’s actions in the Indo-Pacific region.

A congressional official told the newspaper that the malware—a type of software capable of infiltrating devices without administrators' knowledge, causing system failures or data theft—was “a ticking time bomb” that could allow China to cut power, water, and communications to military bases, delaying deployments and resupply operations.

Since military bases often share the same supply infrastructure as residential and commercial areas, many other Americans could also be affected, officials told The Times.

The malware revelations echo a pattern of recent breaches by Chinese hackers previously reported.

U.S. officials and Microsoft analysts initially struggled to identify how hackers gained access to email accounts, which made it clear they were dealing with a highly sophisticated team of hackers, a U.S. official said.

American authorities have consistently labeled China as the most advanced U.S. adversary in cyberspace, a domain that has been a repeated source of bilateral tension in recent years. The FBI has stated that Beijing has a hacking program larger than those of all other governments combined.

Source: CNN

Follow our social media channels and stay updated!