U.S. officials are looking for malware it believes China has hidden inside defense systems that control power grids, communications systems and water supplies for military bases in the United States and around the world, according to The New York Times. The NYT reports, “the discovery of the malware has raised fears that Chinese hackers, probably working for the People’s Liberation Army, have inserted code designed to disrupt U.S. military operations in the event of a conflict, including if Beijing moves against Taiwan in coming years.”
Scott J. White, associate professor, is the director of the Cybersecurity Program and Cyber Academy at the George Washington University. He holds a Queen’s Commission and was an Officer with the Canadian Forces Intelligence Command. In addition, following his doctoral studies, Dr. White was an Officer with the Canadian Security Intelligence Service. In 2010, Dr. White joined MONAD Security Audit Systems as an Associate Consultant. Dr. White has consulted with a variety of law enforcement agencies in the United States, the United Kingdom and Canada.
White’s areas of expertise include cybersecurity, cybercrime, counter-terrorism and infrastructure protection. He says he believes this may all be linked to the global cyber supply chain, the notion that technology products are commonly built using components and services supplied by third-party manufacturers, which make these systems difficult to secure effectively against malware and other threats. White says it extends further when you think about production locations, geopolitics, national security, APT's, etc.
If you would like to speak with Prof. White, please contact GW Media Relations Specialist Cate Douglass at [email protected].
-GW-
