China Denies Hacking Pentagon

Hackers, possibly Chinese, download specs for Joint Strike Fighter

(NEWSER) - Cyberspies believed to be working from China repeatedly penetrated the computers of one of the Pentagon's most important weapons programs, reports the Wall Street Journal. Hackers broke into the system for the Joint Strike Fighter Project—the Defense Department's most expensive program ever at $300 billion—and downloaded several terabytes of information, according to multiple sources. "There's never been anything like it," said one official. More»

(NEWSER) - US and UK law enforcement authorities are planning a preemptive strike on hackers to protect national security, reports the Guardian. The secret plans are triggered by skyrocketing computer crimes launched from China, Russia and North Korea believed to be state sponsored. The "strikeback" attacks will target hackers' computers, disrupt them, and, in some cases, block internet access, according to officials. More»

Four-star general will lead efforts to fight digital attacks

(NEWSER) - The Obama administration is about to create a new military command to bolster American offensive powers in cyberwarfare and to coordinate defenses against digital attacks, reports the Wall Street Journal. A four-star general will lead the new command, which will have responsibility for protecting the country from attacks by hackers, particularly from China and Russia. More»

Commander follows up on report that China has denied

(NEWSER) - Following up on a Pentagon report, a US commander said today that Chinese hackers increasingly target American military networks, the Wall Street Journal reports. Kevin Chilton, the general in charge of cyberspace, fell short of accusing Beijing but said, "You can kind of connect the dots." China has blasted a recent Pentagon report that describes the Chinese army's expanding cyberspace operations. More»

Patriot Act not enough, he tells lawmakers

(NEWSER) - China and Russia are spying on the US at nearly cold war levels, the nation's top spy told lawmakers today. Vice Admiral McConnell defended the Patriot Act as necessary for US defense and asked Congress to give intelligence agencies even greater eavesdropping powers. His testimony comes weeks after an alleged strike by Chinese hackers on the Pentagon. More»