Biden Administration Admits China Can Cripple U.S. Power Grid and Ports
The White House has acknowledged the alarming potential of Chinese hackers to cripple America’s power grid and ports, raising serious concerns over national security as sophisticated cyberattacks increasingly threaten critical infrastructure.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
Chinese cyber actors possess the capability to take down vital U.S. infrastructure, according to senior Biden administration officials. The Wall Street Journal reported that National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan had been aware of these vulnerabilities for over a year, warning industry leaders in a 2023 secret meeting to bolster defenses against potential catastrophic hacks.
In recent months, at least nine U.S. telecommunications companies have been targeted, deputy national security adviser Anne Neuberger revealed. “We will never know regarding the scope and scale of this,” Neuberger told the Journal, emphasizing the precision and stealth of the attacks.
The hacks have evolved from rudimentary cyber intrusions to highly coordinated attacks by operatives with “astonishing skill level and stealth,” the Journal reported. Experts warn these efforts could result in the destruction of key systems, leaving the U.S. vulnerable.
“They’re going to take down our grid,” Far East expert Gordon Chang told Newsmax’s “Sunday Report”. “We are going to be like an 1850s country without the things that we’ve been accustomed to, that operate our country.”
Former Department of Homeland Security cybersecurity official Brandon Wales highlighted the strategic nature of these attacks. He described them as the “key battlefield in any future conflict,” intended to incapacitate U.S. operations and create domestic chaos.
National Security Adviser Sullivan called cyberspace a “fiercely contested battlefield,” stressing that while progress has been made, critical vulnerabilities remain in sectors lacking mandatory cybersecurity requirements.
Senator Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, echoed these concerns, labeling the situation “breathtaking” and underscoring the need for stronger measures to protect national infrastructure. “It’s shocking how exposed we are, and still are,” he added.
In response, Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu accused the U.S. of spreading propaganda, calling on Washington to halt its own cyber campaigns. “The U.S. needs to stop its own cyberattacks against other countries and refrain from using cybersecurity to smear and slander China,” Pengyu told the Journal.
The Biden administration continues to seek cooperation from technology and telecommunications sectors to mitigate risks as tensions escalate in the cyber domain.
