https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/19/fbi-china-hack-infrastructure [p] Skip to main contentSkip to navigation Close dialogue1/1Next imagePrevious imageToggle caption Skip to navigation Print subscriptions Sign in Search jobs Search US edition[ ] * US edition * UK edition * Australia edition * International edition * Europe edition The Guardian - Back to homeThe Guardian [ ] * News * Opinion * Sport * Culture * Lifestyle ShowMoreShow More * [ ]News + View all News + US news + US elections 2024 + Donald Trump trials + World news + Environment + Ukraine + Soccer + Business + Tech + Science + Newsletters + Wellness * [ ]Opinion + View all Opinion + The Guardian view + Columnists + Letters + Opinion videos + Cartoons * [ ]Sport + View all Sport + Soccer + NFL + Tennis + MLB + MLS + NBA + NHL + F1 + Golf * [ ]Culture + View all Culture + Film + Books + Music + Art & design + TV & radio + Stage + Classical + Games * [ ]Lifestyle + View all Lifestyle + Wellness + Fashion + Food + Recipes + Love & sex + Home & garden + Health & fitness + Family + Travel + Money * Search input [ ] google-search Search + Support us + Print subscriptions * [ ]US edition + UK edition + Australia edition + International edition + Europe edition * + Search jobs + Digital Archive + Guardian Licensing + About Us + The Guardian app + Video + Podcasts + Pictures + Inside the Guardian + Guardian Weekly + Crosswords + Wordiply + Corrections * + Search jobs + Digital Archive + Guardian Licensing + About Us * World * Europe * US * Americas * Asia * Australia * Middle East * Africa * Inequality * Global development a man in a suit speaks into a microphone [ ] The FBI director, Christopher Wray, speaks during a House hearing in Washington DC on 11 April 2024. Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Rex/ Shutterstock View image in fullscreen The FBI director, Christopher Wray, speaks during a House hearing in Washington DC on 11 April 2024. Photograph: Bonnie Cash/UPI/Rex/ Shutterstock China FBI chief says Chinese hackers have infiltrated critical US infrastructure Volt Typhoon hacking campaign is waiting 'for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow', says Christopher Wray Reuters Fri 19 Apr 2024 11.44 EDTLast modified on Fri 19 Apr 2024 11.46 EDT Share Chinese government-linked hackers have burrowed into US critical infrastructure and are waiting "for just the right moment to deal a devastating blow", the director of the FBI, Christopher Wray, has warned. Explainer: what is Volt Typhoon and why is it the 'defining threat of our generation'? Read more An ongoing Chinese hacking campaign known as Volt Typhoon has successfully gained access to numerous American companies in telecommunications, energy, water and other critical sectors, with 23 pipeline operators targeted, Wray said in a speech at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, on Thursday. China is developing the "ability to physically wreak havoc on our critical infrastructure at a time of its choosing", Wray said at the 2024 Vanderbilt summit on modern conflict and emerging threats. He added: "Its plan is to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic." Wray said it was difficult to determine the intent of this cyber pre-positioning, which was aligned with China's broader intent to deter the US from defending Taiwan. China claims democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory and has never renounced the use of force to bring the island under its control. Taiwan strongly objects to China's sovereignty claims and says only the island's people can decide their future. Earlier this week, a Chinese ministry of foreign affairs (MFA) spokesperson said Volt Typhoon was in fact unrelated to China's government, but was part of a criminal ransomware group. In a statement, China's embassy in Washington referred back to the MFA spokesperson's comment, saying: "Some in the US have been using origin-tracing of cyber-attacks as a tool to hit and frame China, claiming the US to be the victim while it's the other way round, and politicizing cybersecurity issues." skip past newsletter promotion Sign up to First Thing Free daily newsletter Our US morning briefing breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters Enter your email address [ ]Sign up Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain info about charities, online ads, and content funded by outside parties. For more information see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. after newsletter promotion Wray said China's hackers operated a series of botnets - constellations of compromised personal computers and servers around the globe - to conceal their malicious cyber activities. Private sector American technology and cybersecurity companies previously attributed Volt Typhoon to China, including reports by security researchers with Microsoft and Google. 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