Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL), vice-chair of the Senate Intelligence Committee, had a somewhat alarming response to Thursday’s massive cellular outage affecting many AT&T customers.
Taking to social media early Thursday, Rubio suggested that China has the ability to wreak havoc on our daily lives at any given moment via a cyber attack.
“I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion. And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water and your bank,” he tweeted.
I don’t know the cause of the AT&T outage
But I do know it will be 100 times worse when #China launches a cyber attack on America on the eve of a #Taiwan invasion
And it won’t be just cell service they hit, it will be your power, your water and your bank
— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) February 22, 2024
There was speculation online that the outages may be the result of a solar flare, although AT&T did not provide a reason in a statement that said the company is “working urgently to restore service.”
“A strong solar flare occurred around midnight Thursday. Although it’s not clear what caused a nationwide cell phone service provider outage, strong solar flares/geomagnetic storms can impact radio communications and technology on Earth,” Emily Sutton of Oklahoma station KFOR reported.
As for China, FBI Director Christopher Wray issued a dire warning Sunday at Munich’s annual security conference, saying Beijing’s efforts to covertly plant offensive malware inside U.S. critical infrastructure networks is now at “a scale greater than we’d seen before,” according to the Wall Street Journal.
Wray called the issue a defining national security threat.
Last month, during a hearing by the House Select Committee on Strategic Competition between the United States and the Chinese Communist Party, Wray warned about attacks on critical infrastructure.
“There has been far too little public focus on the fact that PRC (People’s Republic of China} hackers are targeting our critical infrastructure—our water treatment plants, our electrical grid, our oil and natural gas pipelines, our transportation systems—and the risk that poses to every American requires our attention now,” he said, according to Newsweek.
Social media users were quick to note that the infiltration of our southern border by millions of illegal immigrants includes a significant uptick in military-age males from China.
Here’s a quick sampling of responses to the story, as seen in X:
Prepare for the unthinkable. As far as I can see, the #Democrats have empowered our foreign enemies while distracting us with its #payoffs to #Ukraine. https://t.co/kGsTunPKJY
— Dr. Carol M. Swain (@carolmswain) February 22, 2024
I believe we are getting ready to experience an all-out cyberwarfare attack that performs a three-stage systematic attack on our nation’s power, water, cell coverage. Possibly banking systems as well. How many sleepers have invaded our country via the southern border?!? Who is… https://t.co/Czw0ir9zLs
— Gretchen Smith (@MAGAgpsmith) February 23, 2024
Heed this warning well. Remember, these guys have been briefed. https://t.co/3Vie5xo2oa
— Gavin Newsom’s Hair (@LelandShow) February 23, 2024
It’s not a matter of “if”, but simply “when”
— chris eagan (@chriseagan) February 22, 2024
And now we’re letting in unvetted Chinese nationals through at our Southern Border with no idea if they have any affiliation to the CCP.
— Param (@ParamRBB) February 22, 2024
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Tom Tillison grew up in Maryland before moving to Central Florida as a young teen. It is in the Sunshine State that he honed both his passion for politics and his writing skills. Tillison also contributes to BizPac Review.
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