China’s cyber foothold in US infrastructure exposes major vulnerability

The United States remains dangerously exposed to cyberattacks targeting its civilian infrastructure, with Chinese operations demonstrating how adversaries could establish a foothold inside critical networks long before a military confrontation begins, Rear Admiral (ret.) Mark Montgomery warned.Speaking to Defense & Tech by The Jerusalem Post on the sidelines of Cyberweek held at Tel Aviv University, Montgomery said that the threat extends far beyond military targets. Power plants, nuclear facilities, water systems, hospitals, educational institutions and transportation infrastructure are all at risk.While major banks have invested heavily in cybersecurity after decades of being targeted, many other sectors have not made comparable investments, leaving significant gaps in America's defenses.The comments come on the heels of the controversy surrounding the scandal involving the CEO of Nvidia, Jensen Huang, after he had an affair with an alleged Chinese spy.The vulnerability is particularly concerning because much of the infrastructure supporting the US economy and military is privately owned and operated. Companies responsible for maintaining essential systems may not fully understand the national security implications of the networks and assets under their control.Montgomery, who serves as senior director of the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies (FDD) Center on Cyber and Technology Innovation (CCTI) and as an FDD senior fellow, highlighted fiber-optic cables running beneath infrastructure as one example of a potential vulnerability, warning that owners…