According to FBI Director Christopher Wray, Chinese hackers outnumber American cybersecurity experts by at least “50 to 1,” and the People’s Republic of China has a more extensive cyber program than all other major world powers combined.
He told lawmakers that hackers can cause “greater damage than ever before” at a hearing on Thursday of the House Appropriations Committee, emphasizing especially the threat posed by China.
Chinese Cyber Threat
“The scope of the Chinese cyber threat is unprecedented. He added that Washington is having trouble catching up to Beijing in the cyber sphere. They have a more extensive hacking network than all other major countries put together, and they have taken more of our corporate and personal data than any other country, large or little, put together, he claimed.
The bureau head noted that other nations, such as Russia, Iran, and also North Korea, had carried out cyberattacks, but claimed that China posed the greatest threat to American privacy and security, citing its alleged “multi-pronged strategy” to overtake the United States as “the global superpower.”
- Chinese hackers outnumber American cybersecurity experts by at least 50 to 1.
- Washington is having trouble catching up to Beijing in the cyber sphere.
- Chinese authorities have denied American claims of hacking and also data theft.
In addition to “nation-state actors,” Wray also brought up the FBI’s concerns with private cyber criminals, noting that the agency is currently researching “over 100 different ransomware variants,” which refers to a common type of malware that attempts to hold personal information captive in exchange for payment.
The FBI has requested funding to create 200 additional cyber positions to the bureau to address the alleged risk from China, asking for just over $63 million in addition to the $10.8 billion expenditure plan now recommended for 2023.
No other nation poses a greater threat to our creativity, our ideas, our economic security, or our national security than the Chinese government, continued Wray. “Due to this, we have increased inquiries by 1,300% into Chinese threats.”
Chinese authorities have denied American claims of hacking and also data theft while instead leveling comparative charges against Washington.
China’s Foreign Ministry claimed earlier this month that the US is currently the “biggest threat to global cybersecurity” and seeks to “maintain its hegemony in cyberspace,” causing the US to stop its “global hacking operations.”
