Five members of China's armed forces have been formally charged by the U.S. government with "conspiracy to commit computer fraud and abuse." The attacks took place over the last eight years and targeted a number of U.S.-based corporations such as Westinghouse, U.S. Steel and Alcoa. Trade secrets concerning everything from nuclear energy to solar power were reportedly stolen during the operation. In light of the NSA's recent track record, the indictment of Chinese officials for similar practices seems a bit like the pot calling the kettle black.
Not so says U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder. The difference, he says, is that the U.S. government's spying was in the interest of national security, whereas the Chinese were simply committing corporate espionage. It's true that the theft of trade secrets can't really be called a national security matter, but generally speaking, spying is spying.
This is the first time that the U.S. has taken legal action against hackers backed by a foreign government, and it sets a bit of a precedent by doing so. If the U.S. can charge members of the Chinese government for spying, our own forces could be subject to similar actions. After all, just because Mr. Holder draws a line between corporate espionage and military intelligence gathering, it doesn't mean that China will see things the same way.
Before Snowden popped the lid off the NSA's spying, Chinese espionage was considered one of the largest problems in cyber security. Now that Pandora's box has been opened, however, China won't likely be too disposed to yield the moral high ground to the U.S. when it comes to online privacy. To read the full text of the indictment, click here (PDF).
Via Ars Technica
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