NYT: US government checks its own IT systems for Chinese malware

The US is said to be checking internal IT systems for Chinese malware. The New York Times writes this. The country suspects that China has implemented code that could disrupt communications systems, power grids and water supplies for army bases.

According to sources who was able to speak to the editors of The New York Times, the US government has been looking for Chinese malware within its own IT systems for some time. In May this year, Microsoft announced that it had discovered malware near an American army base in Guam, but the US has been looking for such code in its systems for some time. That was malware according to Microsoft then from Chinese state hackers.

Chinese hackers’ attempts to penetrate IT systems are believed to be widespread and more common than initially thought. The discovery of malware is also said to have led to several meetings at the White House.

Discussions would take place within the White House about the intended purpose of the code. According to The New York Times, people wonder whether hackers have military targets in mind or want to have an impact on American citizens. The paper also raises tensions between the US and China over Taiwan and recent computer chip export restrictions. The search for code is currently mainly taking place in areas where there are US military bases, both at home and abroad.

The American government has responded to the news from The New York Times in a statement. President Joe Biden’s office reports that thorough checks are being carried out on the country’s critical IT infrastructure for the first time, but does not mention that this will look for malware originating from a specific country.