Chinese Hackers Plant Vicious Malware Across American Networks

China has secretly inserted malicious computer code deep within networks that control America’s power grids, water supplies and military communications, according to United States officials cited in a July 29 New York Times report.

Chinese hackers use code called “web shell” that can grant remote access to servers. Analysts say the strategy could enable disruption of U.S. military deployments and resupply operations at a future time of the hackers’ choosing.

China is steadfast and determined to penetrate our governments, our companies, our critical infrastructure. In the earlier days, China’s cyberoperations activities were very noisy and very rudimentary. They have continued to bring resources, sophistication and mass to their game. So the sophistication continues to increase.
—George Barnes, deputy director of the National Security Agency

• Such malware was first exposed by a May 24 Microsoft investigation.
• Now American officials believe the problem is far broader than the May report revealed.
• It is believed to be capable of wreaking havoc on civilian infrastructure.
• U.S. authorities admit they are unsure of how widespread the code’s presence is because it is so well concealed.
• One congressional official called the code “a ticking time bomb” due to the risk posed to the very foundations of American defenses.

An Early Warning: On several occasions, Trumpet editor in chief Gerald Flurry has warned of the dangers of the U.S. military’s reliance on computer systems that are vulnerable to enemy sabotage. In a January 1995 article, he quoted analyst Joseph de Courcy, calling this dependence “the Western world’s Achilles’ heel.” Mr. Flurry wrote:

America is the greatest superpower this world has ever known. But we have a very vulnerable point in our military—our own Achilles’ heel. It is so dangerous that I am amazed it hasn’t received more publicity.

Mr. Flurry said de Courcy’s warning about this weakness reminded him of a Bible prophecy recorded in Ezekiel 7. The chapter’s first three verses show God is addressing “the land of Israel” in the time of “the end,” which means mainly the U.S. and Britain in the modern era.

Ezekiel 7 describes a future time when God will punish these nations for their “abominations” and their rejection of His law and authority (verse 8). Verse 14 describes one aspect of that punishment: “They have blown the trumpet, even to make all ready; but none goeth to the battle: for my wrath is upon all the multitude thereof.”

Mr. Flurry said this “alarming” scripture describes a future era when U.S. military technology will have been compromised by adversaries.

It seems everybody is expecting our people to go into battle, but the greatest tragedy imaginable occurs! Nobody goes to battle—even though the trumpet is blown! Will it be because of a computer terrorist?
—Gerald Flurry

In the Trumpet’s June 1999 issue, Mr. Flurry again examined the U.S. military’s perilous vulnerability to cyberattacks, writing, “We could lose the next war before we even begin ….”

Learn more: Read “China Hacks America—and ‘None Goes to Battle.’”