Tensions between the U.S. and China are already at a fever pitch. The experts caution that there’s no silver bullet that counters the severe, systemic threat Chinese hackers have long posed to U.S. economic and political interests. Recent news stories have exposed a huge financial hacking operation. It particularly focuses on high-profile persons connected to the 2024 presidential election campaign and attempts to penetrate communications of Americans.
China has artfully developed their tools for digital warfare. They are doing this through their active use of online propaganda and disinformation to shape narratives and sway public opinion. China combines these tactics with a technology-enhanced toolkit that includes artificial intelligence, cyber surveillance and espionage. Together, these two factors provide them a tremendous advantage in any future military confrontation.
Those breaches included Chinese hackers reportedly trying to hack into the mobile devices of Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance. This really shocking blow was landed while they were campaigning to get elected! This chilling incident reminds us all that the time for improved security for our polity and all public servants is long overdue.
With cyber threats increasing, last month China announced it would start withdrawing from some countries’ networks on national security grounds. In retaliation, the U.S. has rushed to prevent Chinese telecommunications firms from entering its national networks. As the U.S. has initiated this effort, so have many of its closest allies. Yet as with the routing aspect of the problem, Chinese telecom firms continue to control some routing infrastructure and cloud storage in the United States. This fact alone raises alarming questions about the safety of our most critical infrastructure.
The American public needs to know when and how anyone tries to invade their networks. U.S. Representative John Moolenaar emphasized this need for clarity, stating, “The American people deserve to know if Beijing is quietly using state-owned firms to infiltrate our critical infrastructure.”
Most notably, China’s foreign ministry vigorously denied these claims. Part of their animus toward the US is their belief that we’ve used “despicable methods” to pilfer the secrets from other countries. Lin Jian, a spokesperson for the ministry, argued that these charges are part of a broader agenda. Their goal is to undermine China’s reputation and divert attention away from what the U.S. is doing.
That’s been the focus of our recent analysis uncovering a brand new Chinese hacking campaign. This group possibly learned methods to penetrate smartphones without so much as a click by the phone user. The picture of vulnerabilities in mobile devices and applications is quickly coming into focus. National security experts have identified China as a country poised to take advantage of these security vulnerabilities.
The U.S. government should act to return the favor, as it has successfully sanctioned numerous Chinese organizations in response to national security threats. Chinese technology firms continue to hold a powerful presence across many countries. This global footprint grants state-controlled companies like Huawei pathways to enable or even initiate cyberattacks.
Even as the federal government works to protect our networks from foreign adversaries, the complicated landscape of international relations raises new challenges for federal cybersecurity efforts. Future challenges for the U.S. and its allies are likely if China continues to successfully capitalize on its technological prowess.
As geopolitical tensions continue to escalate, protecting our communications infrastructure will only be more imperative to protect our democratic processes and our national security.
