China ramps up cyber spying

 

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By Reuters

Posted on 20 Nov 2009 at 09:28

China is becoming increasingly successful at piercing US government networks, a congressional advisory panel has warned.

"A large body of both circumstantial and forensic evidence strongly indicates Chinese state involvement in such activities," the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission said in its 2009 report to Congress.

"China's peacetime computer exploitation efforts are primarily focused on intelligence collection against US targets and Chinese dissident groups abroad," it notes.

The report further claims that China is the most aggressive country conducting espionage against the US, and is focused on obtaining data to help military modernisation and economic development.

The amount of "malicious" computer activities against the US increased in 2008 and is rising sharply this year, says the report, before adding "Much of this activity appears to originate in China."

The report cited conclusions of Northrop Grumman Corp, one of the Pentagon's top contractors, which claimed China was involved in "a long-term, sophisticated, computer network exploitation campaign" against the government and US defense industries.

Omitted was any thorough description of the techniques used for forensic analysis of such suspected cyber espionage.

China has called the findings "baseless, unwarranted and irresponsible".