In February, US intelligence uncovered a serious threat from Chinese computer hackers. The Telegraph, citing Microsoft, reports that China’s hackers have been covertly accessing data from the US State Department and Department of Commerce and Western European companies since May. According to The Telegraph, these attacks are part of a pattern blamed on China back in 2021 when the Microsoft Exchange server was hacked.

The Telegraph underlines that the threat of Chinese hackers is becoming increasingly clear. They may have penetrated US military and civilian infrastructure. Their strategy could also include pre-emptive cyberattacks so severe that they would be detected just before domestic turmoil and disaster. The US is on the hunt for the malicious software found in the power grids and communications systems that power the military.

Western reaction expected

The UK has so far failed to adequately respond to the threat, despite clear warnings from the intelligence community and the security community for years. The Telegraph notes that China has been welcomed and firmly entrenched in key sectors, including the nuclear sector. It is feared they could hold vast amounts of British data, both encrypted and unencrypted. The warning is clear: not just the US, but all Western allies must understand that the Chinese Communist Party is behaving like an enemy. The question remains whether catastrophic cyber attacks on civilian critical infrastructure and armed forces must be necessary before politicians wake up.