New Report: Capability of the People’s Republic of China to Conduct Cyber Warfare and Computer Network Exploitation

A new report  by The U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission notes that Chinese hackers are increasingly targeting U.S companies  and US government agencies. The report entitled “Capability of the People’s Republic of China to Conduct Cyber Warfare and Computer Network Exploitation,” states that: “Technical assessments of operational tradecraft observed in intrusions attributed to China are the result of extensive forensic analysis and discussions with information security professionals who follow these issues closely.”

The report details an attack that was believed to be China-based, where two groups of hackers worked on a sophisticated operation to steal data from an unspecified “large” U.S. company. One group worked to crack the security systems while another moved specific files and information external severs. The report note that: “The problem is characterized by disciplined, standardized operations, sophisticated techniques, access to high-end software development resources, a deep knowledge of the targeted networks, and an ability to sustain activities inside targeted networks, sometimes over a period of months,”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry responded that: “The commission has always played up ‘China threat,” “It has arisen out of a ‘Cold War mindset’. The commission should stop releasing such kind of reports and instead do something that will benefit the China-U.S. relations.”

In April this year, a cyber attack on targeted U.S Electrical Grid. The attack came from international hackers believed to be from China and Russia.