U.S. charges five Chinese military officials with cyber espionage and theft of trade secrets

[SidDithers]

The United States has brought first-of-its kind cyber-espionage charges against five Chinese military officials accused of hacking into U.S. companies to gain trade secrets.

According to the indictment announced Monday, hackers targeted the U.S. nuclear power, metals and solar products industries and are accused of stealing trade secrets and economic espionage. The alleged victims are Alcoa World Alumina, Westinghouse Electric Co., Allegheny Technologies, U.S. Steel Corp., United Steelworkers Union, and SolarWorld, Attorney General Eric Holder said Monday.

The charges have been described as unprecedented and dramatize a long-time Obama administration goal to prosecute state-sponsored cyber threats.

“In sum, the alleged hacking appears to have been conducted for no other reason than to advantage state-owned companies and other interests in China at the expense of businesses here in the United States,” Holder told a news conference at the Justice Department. “This is a tactic that the United States government categorically denounces.”

Said Bob Anderson Jr., executive assistant director of the FBI’s criminal, cyber response and services division: “This is the new normal. This is what you’re going to see on a recurring basis.”

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/05/19/us_charges_five_chinese_military_officials_with_cyber_espionage_and_theft_of_trade_secrets.html

Sid

[Lancero]

1. Given how many computer components are manufactured in China...

We're pretty much given them the keys to the house.

We have no right to be mad when they decide to let themselves in.