A group of bipartisan House lawmakers sent a letter Friday to the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Jen Easterly, calling for an investigation into concerns regarding recent reporting that says hackers affiliated with a Chinese state-sponsored threat actor possibly infiltrated at least two dozen critical transportation infrastructure entities throughout 2023.
The Daily Caller first obtained a copy of the letter, which was signed by Chairman Troy Nehls and Ranking Member Donald Payne, Jr. of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials along with Chairman Andrew Garbarino and Ranking Member Eric Swalwell of the Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Protection.
In the letter, the lawmakers request an in-person bipartisan briefing to learn more about the national security issue that was reported by The Washington Post. The Post’s report states “hackers affiliated with China’s People’s Liberation Army have burrowed into the computer systems of about two dozen critical entities over the past year.”
“This reporting builds on May 2023 findings from Microsoft and a Cybersecurity Advisory from the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and others that found that Volt Typhoon had engaged in ‘stealthy and targeted malicious activity’ to gain and maintain persistent access to networks to enable the disruption of ‘critical communications infrastructure between the United States and Asia region during future crises.’ Given China’s ambitions related to Taiwan, we find the escalation of Volt Typhoon’s tactics extremely troubling,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter.
READ THE LETTER HERE:
(DAILY CALLER OBTAINED) — … by Henry Rodgers
“The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is one of our nation’s greatest foreign adversaries,” Nehls told the Caller before sending the letter. (RELATED: China Hacked Top State Dept Officials’ Emails Ahead Of John Kerry’s Climate Meeting In Beijing: REPORT)
“Based on recent reporting, it has come to my attention that at least two dozen critical transportation and energy infrastructure entities may have been infiltrated by Chinese state-sponsored cyberattacks in the last year alone. The CCP is attempting to position itself to disrupt and destroy our nation’s supply chains, energy security, and national security. Plain and simple,” he continued. (RELATED: Chinese Hacking Group Breaches Commerce Secretary’s Emails)
“I’m proud to lead a bipartisan letter to the Biden Administration’s Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to ensure that the administration is taking the appropriate measures to protect our country from these blatant attacks and protect our nation’s transportation systems and energy security,” Nehls added.