Pentagon Ups Hacking Accusations Against China 151
wiredmikey writes "A new report from the Pentagon marked the most explicit statement yet from the United States that it believes China's cyber espionage is focused on the U.S. government, as well as American corporations. China kept up a steady campaign of hacking in 2012 that included attempts to target U.S. government computer networks, which could provide Beijing a better insight into America's policy deliberations and military capabilities, according to the Pentagon's annual assessment of China's military. 'China is using its computer network exploitation capability to support intelligence collection against the U.S. diplomatic, economic, and defense industrial base sectors that support U.S. national defense programs,' said the report to Congress (PDF). The digital espionage was part of a broader industrial espionage effort that seeks to secure military-related U.S. and Western technology, allowing Beijing to scale back its reliance on foreign arms manufacturers, the report said. One day later, Beijing dismissed the Pentagon's report that accused it of widespread cyberspying on the U.S. government, rejecting it as an 'irresponsible' attempt to drum up fear of China as a military threat."
Re:Polite pretense (Score:5, Interesting)
Intellectual Property? Like we give a shit. Here's one fine example from U.S. history.
http://www.bigsiteofamazingfacts.com/why-did-president-thomas-jefferson-smuggle-rice-out-of-italy [bigsiteofa...gfacts.com]
During their early years, the United States freely ignored existing European patents and copyrights as we saw fit. Developing our economy took precedence over some Old World kvetching about theft of ideas.
If you have knowledge, let others light their candles with it. - Margaret Fuller
To press China on theft of IP would require a truthful accounting of the cost. Look no further than the BSA [bsa.org] for the depth of deception on the "cost of software piracy". There is no way China would accept valuation numbers like $200 per pirated copy of Windows 7.
It is my fervent wish that the BSA get just what they ask for -- the ability to absolutely prevent people from using their client's software without payment. Think of how many copies of Windows would be installed in China if it was *IMPOSSIBLE* to pirate. Think of a number close to zero.
There would be an utter explosion of growth in FOSS software. If Microsoft wanted to sell Windows and Office they'd have to lower the price to what the market would actually bear -- somewhere most likely around 10% of current prices.
Congress uses those inflated numbers every year to justify all sorts of bullshit. They value of bogus "IP" valuations far outweigh Chinese IP theft.
Re:proof not speculation (Score:5, Interesting)
unless the U.S. has access to the entire world's internet traffic plus all communications globally including mobile phones...
Stop being an idiot. I set up a simple OpenBSD name server back in the mid 2000's, about 2008 I noticed an unusual amount of acitivity on it. It had been attacked and comprimised, and whomever did the attacking had re-purposed it to do name serving to asian servers. I easily tracked the trail back to China. Its not fucking rocket science, and secured in my mind that if the Chinese were willing to attack a small name server in a dusty corner they'll certainly attack US Gov. servers. Stop being an apologist for the Chinese you shill.