According to the New York Times, the malware could interfere with US military operations in a conflict situation.
In the United States, the president Joe Biden the administration believes China planted malware in the US energy and communications network, reported The New York Times. Sources of the US armed forces and intelligence and national security authorities tell the newspaper about it.
The sources call the malware a “ticking time bomb” that could cause disruption to the US military in a conflict situation.
According to the newspaper, the malware could allow the Chinese People’s Liberation Army to disrupt US military operations if China at some point takes action against Taiwan, which it considers a rebel province.
The NY Times says that China can, for example, cut off water, electricity and communication connections not only to US military bases but also to households and businesses in the US.
The United States and several of its allies, as well as hardware manufacturer Microsoft, warned in May that the Chinese state-linked cyber actor Volt Typhoon has managed to infiltrate critical US infrastructure online and that similar activity is likely to be underway worldwide.
According to Microsoft at that time, the target had been the critical infrastructure of the Guam region, which is militarily important to the United States. Guam in the Pacific Ocean is home to important US Navy and Air Force bases.
According to the NY Times, the discovery of the malware was followed by several meetings between high-ranking military, intelligence and security officials, as attempts have been made to trace and remove the code.
STT–AFP