From: Politico
By TONY ROMM
Washington is grappling again with the prying eyes of Chinese hackers.
A string of computer breaches at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and other media organizations have drawn a frustrated response from the White House and galvanized lawmakers who have failed for years to improve the country’s cyberdefenses.
There isn’t much the Obama administration or Congress could have done in advance to stave off the latest string of attacks. But the incidents illuminate the threats emanating from abroad, not to mention the lagging Washington work to protect tech companies, power plants, big banks and now major newspapers from them.
“This is just another reminder of how relentless and sweeping China’s cyberattacks are,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. “The attacks on the U.S. banking industry and now major media outlets who dared publish stories critical of the Chinese government prove this is not a theoretical threat.
“Foreign cyberattackers are targeting every aspect of the American economy every day and Congress needs to act with urgency to protect our national security and our economy.”
The renewed Beltway interest in cybersecurity follows the Wednesday revelation that the Times had fallen prey to a four-month attack thought to have originated in China. The trouble began shortly after the newspaper published a critical story about the country’s prime minister.
In the days to come, though, it became apparent that the Times wasn’t alone: The Wall Street Journal also said it battled back Chinese hackers who spied on reporters covering issues related to the country. Sources told the Times that Bloomberg News once experienced similar difficulties. And The Washington Post acknowledged on Saturday its own run-in with digital spies thought to be operating in China. Authorities in Beijing reportedly have rejected any connection to the incidents.
Those high-profile attacks, however, are only the latest in a series of similar cyberattacks that have been pegged to China. In 2010, for instance, Google discovered a breach into its Gmail system believed to be associated with agents in Beijing. Those hackers appeared to seek data on a number of users, including regional human-rights activists. The highly publicized affair eventually prompted Google to seek the help of the National Security Agency.
Both the Times and the Journal signaled this week that they, too, are working with federal authorities to determine the cause and extent of the breaches. Asked about the incident, White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden declined comment on the specific attacks — but she did say the United States “has substantial and growing concerns about the threats to U.S. economic and national security posed by cyberintrusions, including the theft of commercial information.”
“We have repeatedly raised our concerns with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so,” she continued.
“The United States and China are among the world’s largest cyberactors and regularly discuss threats to cybersecurity. It is vital that we continue a sustained, meaningful dialogue and work together to develop an understanding of acceptable behavior in cyberspace.”
It’s widely believed the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an inquiry into the matter, but a spokeswoman told POLITICO on Friday the agency could neither confirm nor deny the speculation. The FBI representative said it is standard policy not to reveal those details.
Meanwhile, a spokeswoman at the State Department emphasized Friday that the agency has “been clear with the government of China that we need to continue to talk about this.”
Added Victoria Nuland at a press briefing: “The New York Times’s experience mirrors that of individuals and organizations across the U.S. government and private sector, and we are encouraging those who have had these experiences, whether they’re in China or anywhere else in the world, to share them and to take this opportunity to review their security protocols because this is unfortunately a substantial and growing concern.”
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