Targeted defense contractors and government employees.
Chinese military in Tiananmen Square in Beijing on March 5. (Andy Wong/Getty)
The Pentagon is through being polite about China’s hacking problem. In its annual report to Congress on Monday, the Pentagon directly accused China’s military of cyberattacks against U.S. defense contractors and government employees—and these attacks could potentially weaken the U.S. during a crisis. The report conceded that China is most likely trying to steal industrial technology, but the country is still gaining insight into the inner workings of the U.S. military. Despite the dire warnings in the report, there are no potential solutions listed—and there are no indications that the U.S. is developing similar cyberspying technology, although billions are spent each year on cyberdefense and the creation of cyberweapons.
