Exclusive: Dems press Trump admin. for response to China-backed cyberattacks
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Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) at the U.S. Capitol after the last votes in June. Photo: Tom Williams/CQ-Roll Call, Inc via Getty Images.
A group of Democratic lawmakers are pressing the Trump administration to clarify who is leading the government's efforts to eradicate China-backed hackers from U.S. critical infrastructure and telecom networks.
Why it matters: Roughly 1,000 people have already left the nation's top cyber agency this year through voluntary buyouts and other workforce cuts. Those cuts could create dangerous weaknesses in the nation's cyber defenses, the lawmakers argue in a letter exclusively shared with Axios.
Zoom in: Rep. Ritchie Torres (D-N.Y.) sent a letter today to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and Director of National Intelligence Tulsi Gabbard demanding more clarity on who is leading the response against two major China-backed cyberattacks uncovered during the Biden administration.
- Democratic Reps. Raja Krishnamoorthi, Kathy Castor, Ro Khanna, Haley Stevens, Shontel Brown and Jill Tokuda joined Torres as signatories.
- The lawmakers are also requesting Noem and Gabbard provide an update on any ongoing investigations into both the Volt Typhoon attacks on U.S. critical infrastructure and the Salt Typhoon campaign to surveil high-profile individuals' cell phones.
- The group is also asking for an update on how proposed budget cuts and the recent workforce reductions at CISA will impact those investigations.
What they're saying: "This is not a partisan issue. It is a matter of grave consequence for the security of America both at home and abroad," the lawmakers write.
- "We owe it to the American people to protect them from the specter of a cyber 9/11 at the hands of our most formidable foreign adversary."
Threat level: For years, top American officials have been warning about increasing cyber threats from China.
- China-backed Volt Typhoon has been prepositioning in critical infrastructure — such as water utilities, power plants and railways — for at least five years, according to congressional testimony.
- Salt Typhoon, another Chinese government-backed group, was caught hacking into several high-profile politicians' phones last year, including President Trump's.
- "Somewhere, Xi Jinping is smiling at America's insistence on degrading its own cyber capabilities," the lawmakers write.
Yes, but: The letter comes before the Senate has confirmed many of the Trump administration's top cyber nominees.
- Sean Cairncross, a former RNC executive and Trump's pick for national cyber director, testified today before the Senate Homeland Security Committee.
- Sean Plankey, Trump's nominee to run CISA, was originally scheduled to testify at the same hearing but was yanked from the line-up at the last minute.
