China’s Growing Cyber Threat: National Security Agency Director Warns of Increased Efforts to Disrupt U.S. Infrastructure and Dominate Global Power

China is increasing its efforts to gain access to critical infrastructure in the United States, according to the director of the National Security Agency, General Timothy D. Haugh. He stated that Beijing has been working harder to disrupt U.S. cyber efforts and has been using stealthier techniques to break into systems like wastewater and communication networks.

This effort, known as Volt Typhoon, involved Chinese hackers attempting to access critical infrastructure on Guam and in the continental United States last year. According to Haugh, China was establishing access to potentially threaten these systems before a direct confrontation between the two countries. This move could disrupt or shut down critical infrastructure near military bases, causing chaos and slowing the response time to a crisis in the Pacific region or Taiwan.

Haugh described China as an urgent military threat, emphasizing the country’s increasing sophistication in cyber capabilities. He also highlighted Beijing’s campaign to expand its global dominance and its efforts to develop a modernized force to use against Taiwan by 2027. Haugh stressed the importance of confronting China below the level of armed conflict, particularly in the cyber realm.

While Haugh did not discuss specific Cyber Command operations inside China, he mentioned that the military is working hard to disrupt attacks against the U.S., halt the spread of malware and ransomware, and confront China’s deliberate campaigns to gain advantage across all aspects of national power. Haugh warned that China has the desire and ability to become a peer on the world stage, posing a real threat to U.S. national security.

In summary, China is ramping up its efforts to gain access to critical infrastructure in order