Ex‑NSA chief warns China inside U.S. utilities
Former NSA chief Haugh warns China’s capacity to hack the U.S. is growing, saying Chinese actors have been present on some U.S. utility networks for at least five years with multiple intrusions discovered in 2023. He argues the intrusions appear aimed at gaining advantage in a crisis rather than traditional espionage — citing a Littleton water plant where remotely controlled chemical tanks could be used to poison water — and says federal authorities, with the utility’s permission, monitored the activity as part of a “daily contest” to deny Chinese access to telecoms and critical infrastructure.
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📌 Key Facts
- Ex‑NSA chief William Haugh says Chinese actors have been present on some U.S. utility networks for at least five years, with multiple intrusions discovered in 2023.
- Haugh says the intrusions appear intended to gain advantage in a crisis or conflict — not for economic espionage or traditional intelligence collection.
- He describes a "daily contest" in which U.S. defenders work to deny Chinese access to telecommunications and other critical infrastructure both inside the U.S. and abroad.
- With a utility’s permission, federal authorities monitored the Chinese activity on the network to study the intruders' tactics.
- Haugh highlighted a Littleton, Colorado, water‑plant example: remotely controlled chemical tanks on the system could be used to poison water if an attacker gained operational control.
📰 Sources (2)
China hacking critical infrastructure in the U.S.
New information:
- Haugh says China had been present on some U.S. utility networks for at least five years, with multiple intrusions discovered in 2023.
- He asserts there is "no other reason" to target these systems except to gain advantage in a crisis or conflict (not economic or traditional intel collection).
- Littleton’s water plant example detailed: remotely controlled chemical tanks could be used to poison water if operational control were gained.
- With the utility’s permission, federal authorities monitored Chinese activity on the network to study tactics.
- Haugh describes a "daily contest" to deny Chinese access targeting telecommunications and critical infrastructure in the U.S. and abroad.