this post was submitted on 01 Feb 2024
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I understand that the US is likely vulnerable to cyber attack, but is a widespread attack by China likely in the immediate future?
I mean, let's say China does disable infrastructure, banking, etc in a coordinated and widespread attack. But then what? An attack on that scale is an act of war, and I doubt China would be willing to follow up with military action at this time.
Perhaps this is more of a preventive MAD type strategy? Essentially a warning to the US to not mess with China, or else these are the consequences.
Isnt it about being prepared for if they are in a state of war?
That's what it seems like to me. I don't see China executing a cyber attack without being willing and able to follow up with military action. Preparation, as you said.
Tensions don't seem high enough currently for that to be the case, but perhaps someday they will be. At that point we'd be facing an all out war.
Tensions can flair up any moment over anything, so while it might seem unlikely today all it takes is one Serbian guy with a gun to start a world war.
Whereas training hackers can take years, so start early.
I cant see China starting shit while Russia is failing so poorly and Irans limited in its capabilities. I assume the idea is to create regional instability for the next decade or two and try to push the US to its limits. Although Japan entered the war when it knew it wasnt ready, hoping on a hail mary strike to nullify Us capabilities, so don’t discount prideful stupidity speeding that up.
That ship sailed years ago. No one is even keeping up a polite "might be someone else" fiction anymore.
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-government-disrupts-botnet-peoples-republic-china-used-conceal-hacking-critical
I guess my comment was a bit vague. China is certainly currently interfering with our systems on a smaller scale. I was referring to a large scale, widespread cyber attack as described in the article.
It's highly likely China is capable of of that sort of attack. But I don't see how we're more at risk of that happening now than any other military action.
Another commenter described it well as another theater of a potential war, not necessarily that a war is imminent at this point