China's capacity to hack the U.S. is growing, former NSA head says. Here's what they're targeting and why.

[BumRushDaShow]

Source: CBS News

October 12, 2025 / 7:30 PM EDT


Tim Haugh, the retired general and ousted former head of both the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command, warns that China has hacked into U.S. computer networks to an astonishing degree, targeting not just the U.S. military and industries, but also every American.

In the months since Mr. Trump's return to the White House, there have been resignations and firings of other people focused on America's cyber defense.

"Our overall capacity is getting smaller while we know China's continues to grow," Haugh told 60 Minutes. "There is still immense capability in the U.S. government, and now it will be up to the administration to be able to use that and build partnerships with industry to be able to ensure that we're countering these threats."

What China is accessing in the U.S.

Haugh rose to lead the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command in 2024, just as the scope of China's hacking of utilities became clear in a place no one would have imagined: Littleton, Massachusetts.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/how-china-targets-us-systems-tim-haugh-60-minutes/

[bucolic_frolic]

1. Stand back and stand by ... we don't want to offend our adversaries. /nt

[Delarage]

2. This is why I want to be off-grid

Completely. Power lines going down, terrorism, monopolies. The heck with all that....

[Lonestarblue]

3. Good read. The only thing Trump and his billionaires care about is getting richer.

Destroying the federal government means they can do anything they want.

[SKKY]

4. And meanwhile, 99% of the people who would be actively defending...

...Government IT systems against this, and other threats are not working. What could possibly go wrong?

[TheFarseer]

5. Great idea firing the people protecting us

from cybercrime. I’m guessing Trump did that in part because he and his rich friends want to do cybercrimes.

[ToxMarz]

6. The key line as to why dismantling these agencies is so fundamental to them

Aside from curtailing regulation

"...and now it will be up to the administration to be able to use that and build partnerships with industry to be able to ensure that we're countering these threats."

All these essential functions will be extremely profitable in the hands of private corporations. Cyber security, weather forecasting, you name it, it should be done for profit. Anything the gornerment does for free (cost) is to them theft of their profits.