US Official: Chinese Hackers Prepare for Conflict

Chinese hackers are positioning themselves in U.S. critical infrastructure in the event of a clash with the United States, a top American cybersecurity official said on Friday.

Morgan Adamski, the executive director of U.S. Cyber Command, said ongoing Chinese-linked cyber operations are aimed at gaining "an advantage in the event of a major crisis or conflict with the U.S."

Adamski made the comments to researchers at the Cyberwarcon security conference in Arlington, Virginia. Sen. Mark Warner, D-Va., on Thursday told the Washington Post that a suspected China-linked hack on U.S. telecommunications firms was "the worst telecom hack in our nation's history — by far."

That cyberespionage operation, dubbed "Salt Typhoon," has included stolen call records data, the compromise of communications of top officials of both major U.S. presidential campaigns before the Nov. 5 election, and telecommunications information related to U.S. law enforcement requests, the FBI said in a recent statement.

Beijing routinely denies cyber operations targeting U.S. entities. The Chinese Embassy in Washington did not immediately respond to a request for comment.