Chinese LIDAR Dominance a Cybersecurity Threat, Warns Think Tank

An over-reliance on Chinese-made remote sensing technology could imperil US national, economic and cyber security, a think tank has warned.

The non-profit Foundation for Defense of Democracies (FDD) argued in a new paper published yesterday that US critical national infrastructure (CNI) providers in sectors like public safety, transportation and utility are particularly exposed to Chinese light detection and ranging (LIDAR) technology.

LIDAR uses laser light to rapidly create highly accurate 3D maps and models and is now indispensable in a wide range of military and civilian use cases, including safe navigation for autonomous vehicles, drones and trains, and monitoring of pipelines, power lines and rail networks, FDD claimed.

On the battlefield, it’s also used for critical tasks like enemy detection, navigation and sea mine detection, the report noted.

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However, US firms are dangerously dependent on Chinese-made sensors, FDD argued.

“These sensors often serve as essential nodes within interconnected public safety, transportation, and utility systems, which is a clear benefit to the United States. However, Chinese LIDAR’s system-wide integration also leaves its users vulnerable to espionage and sabotage, potentially enabling Beijing to access sensitive US data or disrupt critical operations,” the report claimed.

“China’s military and intelligence services could leverage Chinese-made LIDAR systems for espionage purposes, much as they have exploited the compromised communication gear sold by Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei.”

Supply Chain Disruption

China could also make an impact by withholding the supply of these sensors, FDD warned.

“In practice, Beijing could weaponize Western reliance on Chinese-made systems by manipulating or disrupting LIDAR supply chains as it has done repeatedly with rare earth elements to pressure other countries into accepting its strategic demands,” it said.

The answer is to scale down reliance on “untrusted vendors from foreign countries of concern,” establish and enforce “rigorous cybersecurity standards” for LIDAR and ramp up domestic production, the report noted.

“As Beijing seeks to expand its influence over LIDAR supply chains, the United States and its allies must implement robust policies to secure their own LIDAR capabilities and protect against foreign exploitation,” FDD concluded.

“Acting now to address these vulnerabilities will safeguard national security and preserve the resilience of vital technological ecosystems.”

In September, House representative Dusty Johnson introduced legislation designed to prevent the Department of Transport from buying Chinese-made LIDAR technology.

“America should not rely on this technology from our adversaries,” said Johnson. “China’s access to highly detailed maps of our country’s infrastructure, from ports to highways to railroads, is a big threat to our national security. We must keep our sensitive data out of the hands of those who seek to undermine our nation.”