This is your Tech Shield: US vs China Updates podcast.

Alright listeners, Ting here, dialing in with some cyber spice on this week’s teched-out battlefront: US vs. China, code-named Tech Shield. Buckle up, because if you blinked, you missed a hack or three.

Let’s hit the big one. Over the past few days, Chinese-linked hacking crews—think Volt Typhoon and Salt Typhoon—have not just ramped up, but turbocharged their infiltration game, burrowing deeper into US critical systems. The Department of Defense just uncovered Salt Typhoon’s trail in the National Guard Systems, which could potentially compromise state law enforcement networks and local government integration. This echoes last year’s telecom mega-hack, but now it’s gotten personal. According to the DOD and coverage from NBC, officials are laying blame squarely on Salt Typhoon, while China’s embassy tries its usual “prove it” routine.

Zooming out from hacks to holistics: Congress is cracking down on China-backed AI like DeepSeek, after scathing warnings from a NATO ally, the Czech Republic, whose security agency flagged DeepSeek as a Trojan horse for Beijing’s spies. The US Navy and NASA followed suit, purging DeepSeek from government devices. Congress is now fast-tracking the No Adversarial AI Act, aiming to ban adversary-linked models from government use, building what they’re calling a public “firewall.” Yet, policy whiplash struck: the Trump administration rolled back Nvidia chip export controls, possibly fueling China’s next-gen AI—hello, extra development horsepower for DeepSeek.

Now, for the new rules: The Justice Department’s Data Security Program kicked in this April, enforcing steep penalties—up to $1 million or 20 years in prison—for shady data deals involving “countries of concern” like China. This includes bulk personal, geolocation, and genomic data. The feds now require airtight contractual safeguards and cybersecurity standards, with audits rolling out in October. Companies are scrambling to audit, patch, and update compliance. A Compliance Guide was published, but the real test is how these protections stand up when the rubber meets the code.

Meanwhile, the sectoral frontlines are brutal: Advanced groups like RedMike (or Salt Typhoon, depending on who’s counting) have been exploiting unpatched Cisco vulnerabilities to compromise global telecoms, including US-linked networks. Strategic assets like the semiconductor sector and technology research centers have seen spear phishing and malware attacks involving custom tools—like the backdoor “Voldemort,” discovered by Proofpoint—making long-term implants the name of the game.

Industry, for what it’s worth, isn’t sitting around. Security teams are pushing for zero trust, segmenting networks, beefing up patch protocols, and taking CISA’s patch advisories more seriously than ever. But there’s friction: major staff cuts at CISA and the State Department’s cyber diplomacy bureau firings are putting a dent in US coordination. Experts worry that firing cyber diplomats just as attacks surge only gives adversaries room to maneuver. As Justin Sherman at Global Cyber Strategies put it, axing specialists when alliances matter most “only makes the US more vulnerable.”

So, what’s working? Congressional firewalls, tighter data controls, and industry’s security sprints are all part of the puzzle. The gaps? Leadership chaos, unpatched legacy gear, and a game of whack-a-mole with adversary tech that’s always one bug ahead.

That’s your Tech Shield download. Keep your patches fresh and your passwords longer than your lunch orders. Thanks for tuning in—subscribe now for more cyber-savvy takes. This has been a Quiet Please production, for more check out quiet please dot ai.

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