Trump administration to be less forgiving about cyber-espionage, says incoming US National Security Advisor

Incoming US National Security Adviser Mike Waltz has hinted that the Trump White House will adopt a more offensive approach to cyberattacks. In an interview with CBS News, Waltz implied that the new administration would impose harsher penalties on both private actors and foreign adversaries responsible for cyber intrusions.

Waltz’s revelation comes amid an alarming escalation in cyber espionage attributed to a large-scale Chinese hacking operation known as Salt Typhoon. According to US government allegations, the group has targeted several high-profile telecommunications and infrastructure firms across the country, breaching sensitive metadata, including private communications of senior political figures. China has vehemently accusations that it sponsored the offensive, stating that it “firmly opposes and combats cyberattacks and cybertheft in all forms.”

T-Mobile recently revealed it had successfully thwarted a cyberattack linked to Salt Typhoon, intercepting the coordinated effort before the hackers could breach its network. In contrast to other US telecom providers that were impacted by the campaign, T-Mobile’s security measures prevented the attackers from accessing private communications.

A strategic shift from defence to offense

Speaking on CBS News’ ‘Face the Nation,’ Waltz emphasised the need for a strategic shift in the US’s cybersecurity posture. He explained that, for too long, the focus had been on defensive measures, shoring up cyber defences to protect against incoming attacks. However, the Trump administration plans to implement a more proactive stance, targeting the perpetrators of cyber espionage and retaliation against those who attempt to steal data or interfere with US infrastructure.

“We need to start going on offence and start imposing, I think, higher costs and consequences to private actors and nation-state actors that continue to steal our data, that continue to spy on us, and that even worse, with the Volt Typhoon penetration, that are literally putting cyber time bombs on our infrastructure, our water systems, our grids, even our ports,” Waltz said. “That is wholly unacceptable, and I think we need to take a much stronger stance.”

Waltz also highlighted the risk to US critical infrastructure, including water systems, power grids, and even ports, which have increasingly become targets of cyber threats. He also noted that the private sector, particularly the US technology industry, could play a vital role in this new cybersecurity strategy. “We’ve got a tremendous private sector with a lot of capability,” said Waltz. “That relationship between public and private, with our tech industry, they could be doing a lot of good and helping.”

In addition, recent sanctions announced by the US Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) have targeted a China-based cybersecurity firm accused of participating in the 2020 cyber compromise of over 81,000 firewalls worldwide. The sanctions reflect a broader effort to hold foreign cybercriminals accountable and deter further attacks on US interests. With cyberattacks increasingly posing threats to national security, the Trump administration’s cybersecurity strategy is likely to have far-reaching implications for both private companies and foreign adversaries.

Read more: T-Mobile faces cybersecurity breach as Chinese hackers target telecom networks