China is preparing its legion of hackers to “wreak havoc” on critical US infrastructure, FBI Director Christopher Wray warned lawmakers Wednesday.

Maybe stop hiring based on whether people use or used drugs?

In the tech world drug users, particularly of hallucinogens, probably make up the top 10%.

@phoneymouse@lemmy.world
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Yeah, honestly this shit is why I have avoided government jobs. I’m not really a drug user… just don’t like idea that I need to disclose the exact date and time of every time I ever did use one. Also, the pay sucks. So, the options are jump through hoops and have the government audit your personal life, or don’t and get paid more for that decision.

Republicans hate the government and government workers though, so they don’t even care that this policy costs the US Government talent.

…now give us billions please kthanks

@bhmnscmm@lemmy.world
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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.

@sheogorath@lemmy.world
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That being said, if America ever plunges into a civil war it would be the best time for them to cripple the US infrastructure and do anything they want to Taiwan and SEA while having the US consumed in an infighting.

@jqubed@lemmy.world
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I think a lot of American planners expect the next war to be against China more than Russia, most likely as part of efforts to reclaim Taiwan militarily. Whether that actually happens or not, China seems to be trying to build a military that can win against the U.S., either by matching strengths or some more asymmetric means. I think I saw a story recently that China was constructing mockups of American navy ships in a desert that seem to be for war gaming, as an example.

@shalafi@lemmy.world
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Had a long talk with a very intelligent, young, Navy SIGINT guy last New Years. He’s been out there, intercepting and working on signal intelligence. Basically said, “China is the enemy, and they’re far more able and serious than you think. Can’t say much more, take it or leave it.”

China is still mostly poor and rural. For all of their economic expansion things are still basic there for most people.

If 75% of China’s population is poor and rural, that other 25% is still higher than USA’s population, which also includes poor and rural people.

The US wants a fight with China to justify our perpetual military buildup and foreign reach.

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Do you know anything about cyber security or are just passionate because you get to talk about war. If China were to coordinate an widespread attack, do you think it is as simple as the attack will come straight from the computer in the CCP headquarters and you go in to save the day?

Do you have any idea of how many outdated, unsecured, vulnerable devices (most of them made in China) could be used around the world just to have a plausible deniability. Ever heard of phishing? It could have come from your friend’s email and you could be the one that’s spreading the worm. And it would take months to trace it back to China. These are not script kiddies you see on the movies.

Start Air gaping critical infrastructure from the internet instead of dreaming about hypothetical wars.

@bhmnscmm@lemmy.world
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Did you reply to the wrong comment? I don’t think my comment is really related the points you’ve brought up.

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I know a lot of people interested in infosec, but none of them want to be cops/feds.

@omega_x3@lemmy.world
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Maybe not being the same asshole that always cries that there aren’t enough back doors in encryption if he is so worried about hackers.

@Reddfugee42@lemmy.world
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Manually attacking your adversary is so 1900s. Train a MASSIVE ai on every classified hacking methodology/procedure document in existence, give it the adversary’s IP ?range, and press GO.

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That would just cause chaos. Which might benefit the attacker but I think you’d be better off with smaller targeted strikes using the secret catalog of CIA/NSA hacking tools already available to them. Or I suppose why not do both.

What’s the pop ratio us vs China? Ball park 400mil vs 1.4 bil?

That’s like us is 30% just for an easy number.

So there’s like 1 us people to 3 or 4 China people.

And somehow this sector is 1 to 50. That’s wild.

Most people I know barely know how to use excel and they’d die before leaning xlookup. Let alone Kali or something to run some ops.

I know a little about this world. Uncle in the Navy communications side. They have programs for this stuff. Marines can pick their field or whatever and they have a program too. Seems like a pretty simple fix to make those orders pay better if they really need bodies.

Seems like some wild numbers to throw around. Like 50 to 1 feels a little China outnumber us type xenophobic.

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“To quantify what we’re up against, the PRC has a bigger hacking program than that of every major nation combined,” the FBI director said.

“In fact, if you took every single one of the FBI cyber agents and intelligence analysts and focus them exclusively on the China threat, China’s hackers would still outnumber FBI cyber personnel by at least 50-to1.”

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deleted by creator

@slumberlust@lemmy.world
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They recently reduced requirements for gov cyber security roles.

@trolololol@lemmy.world
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I’m oblivious but I’m going to guess it was the technical skills requirements

@Delta_V@lemmy.world
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Maybe requiring computer nerds to not smoke weed if they want to work for Uncle Sam isn’t the best national security strategy.

GladiusB
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The devil’s lettuce?! In my Christian Minecraft server?

America always needs a boogeyman. Maybe having all infrastructure connected to the internet and letting security sloppy contractors open access isn’t a good idea either.

Meanwhile US citizens go without healthcare.

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