The Biden administration is hunting for malicious computer code it believes China has hidden deep inside the networks controlling power grids, according to U.S. military, intelligence and national security officials.
An American F-15 jet takes off from Anderson Air Force Base in Guam on Feb. 17, 2023.
More than a dozen U.S. officials and industry experts said in interviews over the past two months that the Chinese effort goes far beyond telecommunications systems and predated the May report by at least a year. They said the U.S. government’s effort to hunt down the code, and eradicate it, has been underway for some time. Most spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss confidential and in some cases classified assessments.
In response to questions from the Times, the White House issued a statement Friday night that made no reference to China or the military bases. The public revelation of the malware operation comes at an especially fraught moment in relations between Washington and Beijing, with clashes that include Chinese threats against Taiwan as well as U.S. efforts to ban the sale of highly sophisticated semiconductors to the Chinese government. Many of the tensions in the relationship have been driven not only by technological competition but by mutual accusations of malicious activity in cyberspace.
Chinese concern about U.S. intervention was most likely fueled by Biden’s several statements over the past 18 months that he would defend Taiwan with U.S. troops if necessary. “The Chinese government agencies face numerous cyberattacks every day, most of which come from sources in the U.S.,” he wrote, adding: “We hope relevant parties will stop smearing China with groundless accusations.”
In contrast, Joyce said the intrusions in Guam were “really disturbing” because of their disruptive potential. But intelligence analysts have concluded that China may believe there is utility in any disruptive attack that could slow down the U.S. response. But senior White House officials quickly rejected that option and said that given the potential threat, the prudent path was to excise the offending malware as quickly as it could be found.
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