For years now, China has been hacking into critical U.S. infrastructure.
Numerous Chinese nationals have been caught stealing intellectual property.
Li X. and Dong J. are just two of the many Chinese nationals who have been accused by U.S. authorities.
The two are accused of hacking into the computer systems of U.S. companies, including pharmaceutical, defense, and solar energy companies.
In many cases, the two men were able to take advantage of security issues with computer software that had not been updated.
The two men stole hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of secrets and proprietary data from companies, along with research data related to Covid-19 treatments.
The men are accused of stealing data for the Chinese government, and for their own financial gain.
While the men face serious charges, it seems unlikely that they will see any time in jail.
Since they are Chinese nationals, they likely aren’t going to be extradited to stand trial in the U.S.
The U.S. claims China provided safe harbor for the two men in return for helping the Chinese government.
A U.S. Assistant Attorney General said, “China is using cyber-enabled theft as part of a global campaign to ‘rob, replicate and replace’ non-Chinese companies in the global marketplace.”
China has long been positioning itself to attack U.S. infrastructure such as energy, water, and telecommunications.
But just recently, the FBI Director gave one of his most blunt warnings related to China, claiming Chinese hackers outnumber FBI personnel 50-1.
He added that Chinese hackers are prepared to “wreak havoc” on U.S. infrastructure.
He continued by saying that the threat should be treated as immediate and that organizations should be prepared to respond to the attacks now.
The FBI Director said, “It plans to land low blows against civilian infrastructure to try to induce panic and break America’s will to resist.”
One of the most active Chinese hacking groups is called “Volt Typhoon.”
The group has been able to make intrusions into U.S. critical infrastructure networks.
In response, the U.S. has gone after hackers, money launderers, and hosting services.
It’s a matter of when, not if Chinese hackers will target U.S. infrastructure again.
Considering this, here are a few ways you can prepare.
Your work:
Even though you might not work for an energy or water company your job could play a role in the threats the U.S. faces.
From banks to computer companies, all organizations need to share threats with each other.
Sharing information among sectors can help prevent cyber-attacks.
So, as you go about your daily work, consider the odd things that you might come across and say something.
The more sectors that are on the same page the better prepared against attack they will be.
Electricity:
When it comes to infrastructure failure, electricity is one of the first to go, and it’s something many people in the U.S. have experienced.
Of course, during an attack, it would likely be a much longer period without electricity than we are used to.
So, if you don’t have a generator, I urge you to consider adding one to keep the basic appliances in your home running.
You don’t need anything sophisticated, but a generator will help keep your supplies lasting longer and you and your family safer.
Water:
During an attack against water infrastructure, it’s important to remember that just because the water is flowing that doesn’t mean that it’s safe to drink.
My point is that if a foreign actor wanted to harm U.S. citizens it would be easy to contaminate a drinking supply and still keep the water flowing.
Many people might keep drinking the water without knowing it’s unsafe to do so.
So, a top priority for you should be water filtration and storage.
Even if you are just a little unsure about the safety of the water, it’s best to use your water storage until you know for certain that the water supply is safe.
Localized attacks:
An infrastructure attack is likely going to be localized.
It’s unlikely that a successful attack would be against every water provider or electric provider.
This is why you should have a plan to bug out of your area to a different utility coverage area.
For example, if Utah Power provides electricity to your state you might want to bug out to another state where it’s a different utility company providing the power.
When preparing bug out plans pay attention to infrastructure service areas.
Crime spike:
There is no question that crime will spike if (when) infrastructure fails.
People will be angry and desperate, and it will be safest to stay indoors unless you are bugging out.
Don’t go to the store or try to add supplies once there is a failure, it’s likely too late at that point.
Also, pay attention to the news.
Even if all you have is a radio you will need to see how things are progressing, especially if looting and crime are breaking out.
An infrastructure failure causes greater societal breakdowns, so it’s vital to be self-reliant and ready for the lights to go out.
