Washington —

China-linked hackers’ attempts to infiltrate computer systems and networks that run key sectors of the U.S. economy — just waiting for an opportunity to attack — appear to predate Chinese cyber operations that prompted warnings from U.S. officials earlier this year.

FBI Director Christopher Wray said Thursday that the Chinese government’s efforts to penetrate critical U.S. infrastructure for possible cyberattacks date back to more than a decade.

“Chinese-sponsored hackers have been targeting U.S. oil and gas companies for potential cyberattacks as early as 2011,” Wray told an audience at a Vanderbilt University security conference in Nashville, Tennessee.

“The 15 minutes it took the hackers to steal data related to control and monitoring systems, but ignored financial and business-related information, suggests their goals were more sinister than stealing financial advantage,” he said.

Multiple U.S. agencies, led by the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency, warned in February that hackers linked to the Chinese-linked group Volt Typhoon had been hiding in critical computer systems and networks for at least five years.

At the time, the CISA director said China’s penetration of critical systems related to the U.S. communications, energy, water and wastewater, and transportation sectors “may be just the tip of the iceberg.”

But Wray made clear on Thursday that China’s attempts to hack into systems and hide while waiting to attack – a technique known as “survival off the land” – is part of Beijing’s long-term strategy.

“The People’s Republic of China [People’s Republic of China] He said: “The United States has made it clear that it considers every sector that makes our society function as fair game for its dominance on the world stage. Its plan is to launch a low-intensity strike against civilian infrastructure in an attempt to induce panic and Breaking the American Economic Order” will resist. “

VOA contacted the Chinese Embassy in Washington about the latest U.S. accusations.

Earlier this year, China lashed out at what it called “irresponsible criticism” by the United States after the United States accused Beijing of using Volta Typhoon, and said China “has always been firmly opposed to hacking and misuse of information technology.”

However, Wray’s comments came just a day after another senior U.S. cyber official spoke at the same conference and condemned China’s behavior in cyberspace.

Gen. Timothy Howe, head of the NSA and U.S. Cyber ​​Command, said: “The People’s Republic of China is waging a deliberate campaign to technologically challenge the United States and its allies while putting our critical systems and national infrastructure at risk. among.”

Howe was particularly critical of Volta’s actions against Typhoon, calling it “an example of how China creates corridors to put things under threat.”

“There is no good intelligence reason to look at water treatment plants from a cyber perspective,” he said. China “sent a pretty loud signal about how they intend to use cyberspace in a crisis. We should listen to that signal.”

The Defense Intelligence Agency’s threat assessment released last week also concluded that China uses its cyberspace capabilities to “lay the foundation for malicious cyber activities and cyber attacks.”

The DIA report also noted that China’s military “calls for the use of space, cyber operations and electronic warfare as weapons to disable adversaries’ information systems during conflicts.”