Chinese cyberoperations have shifted from espionage to undermining American infrastructure and destabilizing society, according to Brandon Jenteri, Director of the Cybersecurity and Security of the US Infrastructure Agency (CISA). Jenteri made these remarks during the Aspen Institute forum on Monday. He warned that the US should prepare for the serious and real threat posed by China, which is aimed at critical infrastructure such as pipelines and railways. This would cause panic in society and make it difficult to move troops. “I think that we must be ready to react, recover, extract lessons from interruptions and move forward,” Jenteri emphasized, suggesting that the US increase the stability and faith in its critical services, networks, and businesses.
Jenteri cited the Colonial pipeline and a high-altitude balloon of China as examples of a decrease in public stability, saying that the US should be prepared to face and learn from interruptions. He believes that it will be difficult to prevent infrastructure disruptions caused by Chinese state actors. Therefore, empowering American civil society to cope with the potential impact of these attacks is critical.
Jenteri suggested cooperation with China to prevent the apocalypse related to the development of artificial intelligence. He believes that negotiating with China, which is probably the most powerful weapon of this century, is essential. Jenteri explained that AI was created by private companies whose responsibility was to maximize profits for their shareholders. In contrast, nuclear weapons were created under the auspices of national security by different countries.
The annual assessment of threats conducted with the reconnaissance community almost certainly considers the possibility of aggressive cyberoperations against American critical infrastructure and military facilities. Jenteri stressed that the US’s critical services, networks, and businesses must continue to work even under the threat of Chinese state actors who seek to endanger this infrastructure. The theft of intellectual property and the largest transfer of intellectual wealth in history are no longer in the spotlight of Chinese actors. Instead, their focus has turned to destroying and destabilizing American society.