The FBI’s director warned that Chinese hackers are preparing to “wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens”

For years, the US, its allies, and several companies have warned of a massive and escalating campaign by Chinese hackers to infiltrate US critical infrastructure

Last year, Microsoft and the US government claimed it had intercepted one such Chinese hacking initiative, known as Volt Typhoon, that was designed to both gather intelligence and prepare for future attacks against US infrastructure

China has repeatedly denied those allegations, claiming the US is the world’s largest hacker

On Wednesday, officials from the FBI and other government agencies testified before Congress that in December, they dismantled a Volt Typhoon network in the US

The hackers targeted small office and home office routers that no longer received security updates, making them vulnerable to infiltration

Hackers used those routers to conceal hacking attempts on US infrastructure, officials said

FBI Director Chris Wray issued a blunt warning

“China’s hackers are positioning on American infrastructure in preparation to wreak havoc and cause real-world harm to American citizens and communities,” he said

He didn’t elaborate on specific threats but said Chinese attacks have targeted “water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, [and] our transportation systems”

A top cybersecurity official seconded that warning

“This is a world where a major crisis halfway across the planet could well endanger the lives of Americans here at home through the disruption of our pipelines, the severing of our telecommunications, the pollution of our water facilities, the crippling of our transportation modes—all to ensure they can incite societal panic and chaos,” he said

Also on Wednesday, the Justice Department unsealed an indictment against four Chinese citizens for allegedly smuggling parts used to build drones and other weapons to Iran

The suspects, who live in China, face charges for violating sanctions and export restrictions

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