U.S.: China, Russia Are Cyber Threats

U.S. intelligence agencies reported to Congress Thursday that the governments of China and Russia spy via the Internet—especially targeting American government and universities. American officials have suspected for years that China and Russia were using Internet theft to steal information—Google has even accused China twice of similar charges—but Thursday’s accusations mark a turning point for the U.S., considering how hard it is to target culprits in cyberspace. The report says that even nations that are on good terms with the U.S. also spy via the Internet—and some of these thefts are led by foreign corporations, organized criminal groups and individuals. The report found that many companies are “unaware” when their information is stolen and fear reporting it due to “potential damage to their reputation with investors, customers and employees.”