FBI Warns of Heightened Cyber Threats to Businesses and Critical Infrastructure

Posted February 20, 2024

In a compelling testimony before Congress late last month, FBI Director Christopher Wray outlined the extensive cyber threats posed by recent cyber activities coming out of China. Wray spotlights the “Vault Typhoon” malware, we wrote about last week, as a mechanism for the Chinese government to conceal reconnaissance and exploitation activities against the U.S. critical infrastructure. This detailed account sheds light on an ominous landscape of cyber warfare, where American communications, energy, transportation, and water sectors are under constant surveillance and potential threat from foreign adversaries as tensions rise.

The vault typhoon malware enabled China to hide, among other things, pre operational reconnaissance and network exploitation against critical infrastructure like our communications, energy, transportation and water sectors.

— FBI Director, Christopher Wray

Chris Krebs, former director of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency and current Sentinel One Chief Public Policy Officer, provided professional insights into these developments during a CNBC interview. Krebs highlighted the significant escalation in concern within the national security community regarding Chinese cyber threats, particularly those aimed at undermining U.S. military capabilities in support of Taiwan and directly targeting U.S. critical infrastructure.

An increase in activity targeting US critical infrastructure in a very opportunistic and ad hoc way, and even as recently as this week, you heard the FBI disrupted some of the cyber infrastructure, a botnet that the Chinese had amassed over the last year or so. And so it it is very concerning.

This is not theoretical. It is very much here and now. Researchers at Central one have detected the same sort of activity, and so it is not just the government saying it’s the private sector as well.

— Chris Krebs

For businesses and organizations trying to maintain operational continuity, Krebs’s observations signal a critical juncture in the cyber threat landscape. The FBI’s disruption of a Chinese botnet underscores the immediacy and sophistication of these threats, illustrating the need for enhanced cyber resilience measures. Mid-sized businesses, often lacking the extensive resources of larger corporations, must prioritize identifying vulnerabilities, implementing robust cybersecurity frameworks, and fostering a culture of cyber awareness among their employees.

Krebs’s commentary on the potential impacts of cyber attacks on the U.S. electric grid and other critical infrastructure components underscores a stark reality. Such attacks could lead to regional power outages, disrupting businesses and society at large. This prospect highlights the necessity for businesses to develop comprehensive contingency and business continuity plans to mitigate the potential fallout from disruptions to critical infrastructure.

Moreover, Krebs emphasized the importance of corporate responsibility in fortifying defenses against cyber threats. With the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) mandating public companies to enhance cyber governance, mid-sized businesses must also recognize that cyber risk equates to business risk. Implementing governance policies, ensuring regular system updates, and adopting a zero-trust architecture can significantly bolster a company’s cyber resilience.

In light of these heightened threats, security teams should actively engage with government and industry-led cybersecurity initiatives to stay abreast of the latest threat intelligence and best practices. Collaboration with partners and participation in information-sharing platforms can provide critical support in identifying and mitigating cyber threats.

Ultimately, the combined insights from Director Wray and Chris Krebs serve as a clarion call for businesses to reassess and strengthen their cybersecurity postures. In an era where cyber threats from state-sponsored actors like China are increasingly sophisticated and potentially disruptive, proactive measures and a commitment to cyber resilience are paramount for safeguarding the integrity and continuity of business operations in the digital age.

Kevin Willette

Kevin Willette is Partner / CEO of Verus Corp. His focus is ensuring complete customer satisfaction and providing as much or as little support as is needed for the individual client. Kevin knows that plenty of places do IT services, but what sets Verus Corp apart is the local feeling and the commitment to doing things right the first time. He has always wanted to be a business owner because it affords him the opportunity to offer a service that was better than anything clients had seen before. His true goal is to help customers make their businesses better by removing potential IT barriers. Kevin served as chair for Habitat for Humanity during his time at Minnesota State University, Mankato. He has also served on the WatchGuard Advisory Council since 2016. Kevin’s work with Verus Corp has helped them achieve awards as the WatchGuard Partner of the Year and Cisco Select Partner. Kevin graduated from Minnesota State in 2000 with a major in Business Marketing and minors in Business Administration and Music.