Lawmakers point to four years of “brave attacks” by Chinese cyberproxy, which targets government agencies and citizens with “almost immunity.”
A group of senators led by Sen. Sherry Moore Capito (RW.Va.) urged President Donald Trump to step up US cyber defense in response to the sustained onslaught of China.
In a March 11 letter co-signed by 11 colleagues, Capito warned that these cyber intrusions were not punished despite targeting China and the country’s groups.
The letter follows reports by two cybersecurity companies. This is both Mandiant and Crowdstrike, both recording the rate of cyberattacks growth on US-based entities.
Four years ago, Hafnium, a Chinese state-sponsored group known as Silk Timpson, was an important player in cyberlands. In 2021, it was observed to exploit zero-day vulnerabilities, linked to multiple violations of on-premises exchange servers.
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“All of these attacks were carried out without a strong response by the Biden administration,” Capito wrote, dismissing a report from the time that the administration claimed it had “a quietly counterattacked.”
However, Capit’s letter argued that the former president “could not respond to some of the worst cyberattacks in our country’s history.”
“Mr. President, it’s clear that deterrence needs to be restored in the cyber domain,” writes Capito.
She called on Trump to take “decisive action” by imposing higher costs on the enemy and upgrading America’s defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.
National Security Advisor Michael Waltz, National Intelligence Director Tarsi Gabbard, Defense Secretary Pete Hegses, CIA Director John Ratcliffe, Homeland Security Secretary Christa Noem and Cyber Command Director Timothy Howe have been copied into the missive.
The Epoch Times reached the White House for comment.
The letter dated March 6th was addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.), Senate Majority Leader John Tune (Rs.D.), House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (DN.Y.), and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (DN.Y.).
The group emphasized that the rapid passage of legislation is a precursor to the United States.
“The CCP has made abundantly clear that it will use tools at its disposal to undermine our national security, spread harmful disinformation, and collect data on Americans,” the letter states.
The lawmaker explained that the chatbot is connected to Chinese mobile, owned by the Chinese administration.
