Critical American infrastructure, including power and water utilities, communications, and transportation systems

The Chinese military is intensifying efforts to compromise critical American infrastructure, including power and water utilities, communications, and transportation systems, U.S. and industry security officials report. Hackers linked to China’s People’s Liberation Army have infiltrated around two dozen key U.S. entities in the past year.

These cyber intrusions are part of a larger strategy to create potential disruptions in the event of a U.S.-China conflict, particularly in the Pacific region.

Targets have included a Hawaiian water utility, a major West Coast port, and an oil and gas pipeline, with attempts also made on Texas’s independent power grid operator. The campaign, known as Volt Typhoon, has been active for about a year and is part of escalating tensions between the U.S. and China.

While these cyberattacks have not yet disrupted industrial control systems or caused operational failures, their focus on strategic locations like Hawaii, home to the Pacific Fleet, indicates a clear intent to hinder U.S. military logistics in a potential conflict, particularly concerning Taiwan.

This revelation comes amid strained U.S.-China relations, with military communication channels only recently reopened following President Biden and Chinese President Xi Jinping’s agreement.

The campaign’s scope and targets underscore the growing cyber threat landscape and the need for robust cybersecurity measures in critical infrastructure sectors.