Cyber Attacks: Concern that China is Escalating Industrial Espionage Efforts on Internet

Cyber attacks on commercial, government, and military targets is on the increase. The scale and sophistication of the cyber attacks on Google Inc. and other large U.S. corporations by hackers in China is raising security concerns that the Asian superpower is escalating its industrial espionage efforts on the Internet.

Government officials and lawmakers are warning that the U.S. may already be losing the battle to protect the nation’s cyber infrastructure.

Rep. Anna Eshoo (D-Menlo Park), a senior member of the House Select Committee on Intelligence, called China a pervasive hacker.


Google revealed Tuesday that cyber attacks were believed to seek information on the e-mail accounts of Chinese human rights activists, steel intellectual property, and possibly economic espionage.

In a reaction to cyber attacks, intellectual property theft and espionage originating from China, Google announced Tuesday that the company is reviewing the feasibility of its business operations in China. Google also mentioned a decision that it is no longer willing to continue censoring Google search results on Google.cn. After talk of a shut down of Google.cn and local offices in China, Beijing is trying to persuade Google to stay. The Chinese News Agency Xinhua reported that Baidu, China’s largest Chinese web portal was shut down for three years as a result of a cyber attack.

Wikipedia: Cyberwarfare | Anna Eschoo | United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence | China | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the People’s Republic of China | SANS Institute | McAfee | Cybercrime | Electronic Privacy Information Center | Xinhua News Agency

SOURCES:
Los Angeles Times Chinese hackers pose a growing threat to U.S. firms

CNET News Google to stop censoring in China, may pull out

India The Economic Times China persuades Google to stay back

Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis at Defense Group Inc.