The United States government on Monday made an unprecedented move in its efforts to combat cyberespionage operations against American companies, efforts that until now had mainly consisted of strongly worded statements and diplomacy. The Department of Justice indicted five officers of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army for allegedly hacking into networks run by companies such as U.S. Steel, Westinghouse and Alcoa and stealing proprietary information that allegedly then was passed on to Chinese-owned companies.The indictments are the first concrete step in what had thus far been a war of words between American and Chinese politicians over the U.S. government’s beliefs that Chinese state-sponsored attackers have been infiltrating the networks of U.S. companies for years and helping themselves to trade secrets, intellectual property and internal communications. Chinese officials have denied that its army or other state-controlled actors are engaged in these kinds of operations, which has done little to assuage officials in the Obama administration. President Obama himself raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during talks last year.
http://threatpost.com/u-s-indicts-five-chinese-army-officers-for-alleged-cyberespionage-operations/106148Also see:5 in China Army Face U.S. Charges of Cyberattacks
In the Obama administration’s most direct confrontation with China over its theft of corporate secrets, the Justice Department on Monday unsealed an indictment of five members of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army and charged them with hacking into the networks of Westinghouse Electric, the United States Steel Corporation and other companies.The indictment named members of Unit 61398, which was publicly identified last year as the Shanghai-based cyberunit of the People’s Liberation Army, including its best-known hackers known online by the noms de guerre “UglyGorilla” and “KandyGoo.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/20/us/us-to-charge-chinese-workers-with-cyberspying.htmlUS Justice Department to charge Chinese military officials with hacking [IDG]
The U.S. Department of Justice is preparing to charge Chinese military officials with hacking US companies to obtain trade secrets.U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder is expected to announce the charges on Monday morning, according to reports in The Wall Street Journal and NBC.
http://www.networkworld.com/news/2014/051914-us-justice-department-to-charge-281696.htmlU.S. accuses China of cyber spying on American companies
The United States on Monday charged five Chinese military officers and accused them of hacking into American nuclear, metal and solar companies to steal trade secrets, ratcheting up tensions between the two world powers over cyber espionage.China immediately denied the charges, saying in a strongly worded Foreign Ministry statement the U.S. grand jury indictment was “made up” and would damage trust between the two nations.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/uk-cybercrime-usa-china-idUKKBN0DZ1BQ20140519
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/us-cybercrime-usa-china-announcement-idINKBN0DZ1HV20140519China: U.S. cyber spying accusations ‘made up’ and will damage trust
China’s Foreign Ministry issued a strongly-worded statement on Monday, saying a U.S. grand jury indictment of five Chinese military officials was “made up” and would “damage Sino-American cooperation and mutual trust”.
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/uk-cybercrime-usa-china-response-idUKKBN0DZ1FV20140519
http://in.reuters.com/article/2014/05/19/uk-cybercrime-usa-china-response-idINKBN0DZ1P720140519DOJ’s charges against China reframe security, surveillance debate [IDG]
The U.S. Department of Justice’s decision to bring computer hacking and economic espionage charges against five alleged members of the Chinese army is an attempt by President Barack Obama’s administration to redirect a global discussion about cyberhacking and surveillance, some cybersecurity experts said.
http://www.computerworld.com/s/article/9248444/DOJ_39_s_charges_against_China_reframe_security_surveillance_debateHacker indictments against China’s military unlikely to change anything
The U.S. government’s decision Monday to formally indict five members of the Chinese military on criminal hacking charges marks a significant escalation of what until now has been largely a war of words between officials of both countries.
