Why the 'China virus' hack at US energy companies is worrisome
Since the 9/11 attacks, national security has largely been about protecting the US homeland against radical Islamists. But as dangerous as al-Qaeda and other groups have proven to be, the threat they represent is not as systemic as the ongoing threat of cyber-warfare.
Right now, there is every reason to believe a covert cyber-war is underway and that crucial industrial information has made its way to computers in China.
When Google announced two weeks ago that Chinese hackers had broken into its Gmail system, the target appeared to be information about human-rights activists in China. But hackers operating from Chinese servers are also systematically targeting the IT networks of major US companies to extract valuable competitive intelligence in areas like technology and energy resources.
