Chinese state-sponsored hackers have infiltrated many outdated home and office wifi routers in the U.S. in preparation for attacks on electrical grids and water supplies.
A U.S. government investigation found that hundreds of old routers had been infected with malware by a Beijing-backed hacking group known as “Volt Typhoon.” It’s time for many companies to upgrade their devices.
On Wednesday, the FBI said it had deleted the malware that was distributed on the routers of unknowing Americans to gain a foothold in the country’s critical national infrastructure.
The U.K.’s National Cyber Security Centre had previously warned that hackers backed by the Chinese state were trying to infiltrate Britain’s critical infrastructure and hiding in computers to “evade detection.”
There is a storm coming.
The Five Eyes intelligence network of the U.K., US, Canada, New Zealand, and Australia issued a joint statement last May asking infrastructure providers to be vigilant to Chinese threats. The warning came after Volt Typhoon hacked into a U.S. military outpost in the Pacific Ocean.
Ken McCallum, the director of MI5, said in October that there had been a “sharp rise” in Chinese attempts to steal state secrets in the U.K., warning a conference of Western security chiefs:
“We all need to be aware and respond before it’s too late.” And Christopher Wray, the FBI’s director, warned Congress on January 31, 2024, that the Chinese government CCP was increasingly targeting civilians.