📺 Stream EntrepreneurTV for Free 📺

FBI Director: Chinese Hackers Have Infiltrated Every Major U.S. Company 'There are two kinds of big companies in the United States…those who've been hacked by the Chinese, and those who don't know they've been hacked by the Chinese.'

By Geoff Weiss

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

In his first major television interview, FBI Director James Comey told 60 Minutes that shifting the agency's focus towards snuffing a wild proliferation of cybercrime would be central to his 10-year term.

"There are two kinds of big companies in the United States," Comey said during the interview, which aired Sunday. "There are those who've been hacked by the Chinese, and those who don't know they've been hacked by the Chinese."

While Comey said that, on a daily basis, there are too many attacks against American computer systems to even count -- and that these assaults have cost the U.S. government billions of dollars in totality -- he called China the top perpetrator on a very long list.

The Chinese are specifically targeting U.S. businesses in order to obtain "information that's useful to them so they don't have to invent," Comey said. Additionally, "They can copy or steal to learn about how a company might approach negotiations with a Chinese company."

Related: U.S. Charges Chinese Officials With Economic Espionage

To this end, for the first time, the U.S. Justice Department filed criminal charges against five Chinese government officials on counts of cyber espionage earlier this year. The hackers, members of the People's Liberation Army, were accused of breaking into nuclear, steel and renewable energy companies in order to tap valuable trade secrets.

At the end of the day, however, Comey does believe that Americans should sleep well at night. Investments in the security sector since 9/11 have resulted in "better systems, better equipment, smarter deployment," he says.

He also called China highly unsophisticated -- though inexhaustible -- in its approach to espionage. "I liken them a bit to a drunk burglar. They're kicking in the front door, knocking over the vase, while they're walking out with your television set. They're just prolific. Their strategy seems to be: We'll just be everywhere all the time. And there's no way they can stop us."

Nonetheless, Comey feels that most citizens don't fully comprehend the extent of abounding threats. "When someone sends you an email," he warns, "they are knocking on your door. And when you open the attachment, without looking through the peephole to see who it is, you just opened the door and let a stranger into your life, where everything you care about is."

Related: FBI to Apple, Google: Your New Privacy Policies Are Making People Less Safe

Geoff Weiss

Former Staff Writer

Geoff Weiss is a former staff writer at Entrepreneur.com.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

The Met Museum, OpenAI Created an AI Chatbot With the Persona of a 1930s Socialite for a New Exhibit

The finale of the Costume Institute's latest fashion exhibit features a wedding dress worn 94 years ago by New York socialite Natalie Potter and an AI chatbot with her vibe.

Business News

Kevin O'Leary Says This Is a 'Huge Red Flag' When He's Looking at Resumes

The "Shark Tank" star took to X to share his opinions on job hopping — and how long you should really stay in a job.

Marketing

4 Things Ecommerce Startups Need to Be Careful About When Running A/B Tests

A/B testing is a powerful tool, but you should be aware of these aspects that people often overlook.

Marketing

10 Ways to Use AI for Hyper-Personalized Marketing

The future of marketing is not just about privacy and personalization. It's predictive, proactive and powered by AI.

Business News

'An Obvious Move': Elon Musk Suggests Warren Buffett Should Make This Investment Move Next

Berkshire Hathaway held its Annual Shareholder meeting over the weekend.