FBI announces cyber strategy as Treasury 'cracks down' on China-linked criminals

The FBI introduced an extensive cyber strategy on Wednesday during the Billington Cyber Security Summit in Washington, aimed at addressing both domestic and international cyber threats. Assistant Director Brett Leatherman revealed the strategy report's five core elements, which include dismantling digital tools and infrastructure used by adversaries, supporting victims of cyber crimes, collaborating with the private sector, enhancing FBI cyber skills, and educating employees on secure artificial intelligence use.

Leatherman emphasized that China, specifically the People's Republic of China, poses the most significant risk to national security.

The US Treasury's Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) announced sanctions against Xinbi Guarantee, a Chinese-language platform frequently utilized by Chinese cybercriminals. OFAC described Xinbi Guarantee as a central hub connecting transnational criminal syndicates involved in cyber scams, fraud, money laundering, and other criminal activities targeting Americans. China has repeatedly denied allegations of state-sponsored cybercrimes, and the Chinese embassy in Washington did not provide a comment.

Jason Bilnoski, deputy assistant director of the FBI's cyber operations branch, discussed the bureau's approach to addressing cybercrime, particularly concerning recent hacks linked to Iran. While Bilnoski did not specifically mention Iran, he confirmed that the FBI is cooperating with the private sector and allies to combat cybercriminals, botnets, and malware.

The increasing number of cyberattacks attributed to Iran-backed groups, such as Handala, has raised concerns. Handala previously hacked director Kash Patel's personal email and cloud services and breached the systems of the California Water Service, causing brief water supply disruptions for around 20,000 customers.