China-backed actors “stand out” in threatening America’s energy infrastructure and could disrupt the country’s power networks in the event of a geopolitical crisis, a cybersecurity expert told the US Congress on Thursday.
Testifying before the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, Patrick Miller, CEO of Ampyx Cyber, described Chinese state-backed actors as conducting a long-term strategy to incapacitate critical American infrastructure when bilateral tensions escalate, noting the current grid is too vulnerable to defend.
“China’s cyber operations against the US power grid are not isolated acts of espionage or theft. Rather, they are part of a broader campaign to pre-position disruptive capabilities within American networked infrastructure,” Miller said.
“The goal appears to be to create options for China to sow chaos and impede US military responses during a future crisis, especially one involving Taiwan,” he added.
Beijing sees Taiwan as part of China to be reunited by force if necessary. Most countries, including the US, do not recognise Taiwan as an independent state, but Washington is opposed to any attempt to take the self-governed island by force and is committed to supplying it with weapons.
