An American senator has urged the US Cyber Command (CYBERCOM) to take an offensive stance when dealing with hackers, especially from China.
In a letter addressed to CYBERCOM official Lt. Gen. Timothy Haugh, Sen. Eric Schmitt of Missouri claimed that the country has only been taking a defensive approach when protecting government networks.
He argued that now is the right time to use all tools at its disposal to deter state-sponsored hacking groups from wreaking havoc on US government information systems.
“As opposed to simply patching vulnerabilities and going about regular business, it is time the United States takes the fight to the doorstep of malicious actors,” he stressed.
The senator has requested a meeting with US CYBERCOM to know its current and future plans.
‘Ever-Evolving Threat Landscape’
Earlier this year, a group of Chinese hackers utilized a flaw in Microsoft’s cloud services to access the email accounts of top US officials, including Commerce Secretary Gina Raimondo.
The cybercriminals reportedly disguised themselves as federal users to steal sign-in keys and access private inboxes.
In September, the US Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency issued an advisory against China-linked cybercriminal group BlackTech for targeting the defense, government, and media sectors across the US and East Asia.
Senator Schmitt said that through forceful deterrence in cyberspace, “the US will not only bolster its own cyber resilience, but it will also demonstrate the resolve of our nation as we face an ever-evolving threat landscape on the digital battlefield and beyond.”
