The AP reports that two former U.S. officials say the administration is preparing a new National Intelligence Estimate - a government review of security concerns - to better understand and analyze the persistence of cyber attacks coming from China.
Once this is done, it will apparently be possible to better meet the security threat and justify actions to protect both the public and national security.
The new National Intelligence Estimate address cyber as a threat to the economy - often seen when one considers not only the problems caused by downtime, but also in relation to the money that organizations and businesses to spend to defend and repair the damage left by cyberattackers.
A U.S. official said that "it made more direct role by the Chinese government espionage," according to the news agency.
In addition, the report is expected to find ways to open the way for diplomatic and business against the government if the situation is under control. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton said this week: "We must begin to understand China and the United States will have to take measures to protect not only our government, but our private sector, from this kind of 'illegal intrusions. '
Such measures may include the cancellation of visas or a specific restriction on the importation of Chinese goods.Both New York Times and the Wall Street Journal recently reported being victims of such attacks. The New York Times said was a persistent target for hackers based in China - pointing an accusing finger at security firm Symantec does not protect - and this has led to data breaches where passwords and administrative details were stolen. The WSJ says it has had to fight against cyber attacks for "several years" and suggested that confidential emails may finally made their way to the Chinese authorities.
However, attacks against media that can come from China are not isolated incidents. There was a series of data breaches and cyber attacks against U.S. banks, universities and businesses - many said to come from the Asian superpower.
The Chinese government and the army denied any responsibility for monitoring or hacking. The Ministry of Defence said that Chinese law prohibits "hacking and other actions that harm Internet security," and that "the Chinese army has never supported the activities of piracy."
The White House declined to comment on the possibility of severe sanctions against China, but the spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said: "The United States has large and growing concerns about threats to the U.S. economy and national security posed by cyber intrusions, including the theft of commercial information. We have repeatedly expressed our concerns with Chinese officials, including the army, and we will continue to do . "...
