Report Warns of Potential Chinese Malware in US Systems as a ‘Ticking Time Bomb’

According to a report by The New York Times on Saturday, the Biden administration holds the belief that China has surreptitiously installed malicious software in critical US power and communication systems, posing a potential threat to the military’s operations in the event of a conflict. This situation is likened to a “ticking time bomb.”

The Times, citing US military, intelligence and security officials, said the malware potentially allowed China’s People’s Liberation Army to disrupt US military operations if Beijing ever attacked Taiwan.

The Times said those systems could allow China to cut off water, electricity and communications to US military bases, but also to homes and businesses across the US.

The report comes two months after Microsoft warned that critical US infrastructure networks had been penetrated by state-sponsored Chinese hackers.

Microsoft singled out Guam, a US Pacific territory with an important military outpost, as one target, but said malicious activity has also been detected elsewhere in the US.

It said the stealth attack, which began in mid-2021, was likely aimed at hindering the United States in the event of a regional conflict.

Authorities in Australia, Canada, New Zealand and Britain also warned that Chinese hacking was likely to occur worldwide, affecting vast infrastructure.

The discovery of the malware, the Times said, prompted a series of meetings in the White House briefing room involving top military, intelligence and national security officials in an effort to track down and destroy the code.

The newspaper quoted one congressional official as saying that the malware operation was a “ticking time bomb.”

The White House issued a statement on Friday that did not mention China or the military bases.

“The Biden administration is working tirelessly to protect the United States from any disruption to our critical infrastructure, including coordinating interagency efforts to protect water systems, pipelines, railroads and aviation systems, among others,” said Adam Hodge, a spokesman for National. Security Council.

He added that President Joe Biden “has also authorized strict cybersecurity practices for the first time.”

The reports of malware activity come at a particularly tense time in U.S.-China relations, as China aggressively claims Taiwan as Chinese territory and the U.S. seeks to ban advanced semiconductor sales to Beijing.