In recent years, the escalating threat of cyberattacks by Chinese-backed hackers has become a pressing concern. Representative Laurel Lee (R-FL) has introduced bipartisan legislation in response to this urgent situation. This legislation intends to swiftly uncover and combat these hackers through the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA).
Rep. Lee's Strengthening Cyber Resilience Against State-Sponsored Threats Act is a proactive step towards protecting our cyber infrastructure. It mandates the CISA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to establish a task force for dealing with China's government-backed hacking groups. The task force will annually present a classified report on discoveries and recommendations on effectively dealing with these threats.
One such state-sponsored group of black hat hackers highlighted in Rep. Lee's press release is known as Volt Typhoon, which has been responsible for compromising thousands of devices in a bid to sabotage Western infrastructure at some future point.
More insidiously, the group exploits current weaknesses in security systems rather than injecting new malware into their targets. As mentioned, they are not stealing information so much as preparing for acts of sabotage.
While the Chinese government denies backing Volt Typhoon, evidence has mounted that members of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) have been involved in cyberattacks, as evidenced by the indictments of multiple PLA officers.
"The CCP, acting through Volt Typhoon and other threat actors, has made a concerted effort to pre-position itself within our networks in order to target and compromise the critical infrastructure Americans rely on every day––from the transportation and water sectors to the energy sector. While individual agencies have worked to examine and address the threats posed by malign cyber actors like Volt Typhoon, a siloed approach to cybersecurity will only give our adversaries the upper hand. It is critical that the federal government implements a focused, coordinated, and whole-of-government response to all of Beijing's cyber threats, so no other actors succeed," said Lee.
In July, Representative Maxwell Frost (D-FL) introduced a similar bill strengthening American cybersecurity, though his focus was on spacecraft.
