http://www.pcworld.com/article/id,132284-pg,1/article.html By Sumner Lemon IDG News Service May 28, 2007 The People's Liberation Army (PLA) continues to build cyberwarfare units and develop viruses to attack enemy computer systems as part of its information-warfare strategy, the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD) warned in a report released on Friday. "The PLA has established information warfare units to develop viruses to attack enemy computer systems and networks," the annual DOD report [1] on China's military warned. At the same, Chinese armed forces are developing ways to protect its own systems from an enemy attack, it said, echoing similar warnings made in previous years. These capabilities are part of China's ongoing military modernization efforts, which have seen the country add dozens of high-tech fighters and ballistic missiles to its arsenal. China isn't alone in building the capability to attack an enemy's computer systems. The U.S. and other countries have developed similar abilities. The PLA's virus-writing efforts have been underway for years, reflecting the importance that China apparently attaches to information warfare. As early as 2000, the DOD warned, "China has the capability to penetrate poorly protected U.S. computer systems and potentially could use CNA [computer network attacks] to attack specific U.S. civilian and military infrastructures." In recent years, the PLA has begun training more seriously for computer attacks, including them as part of larger military exercises in 2005. The main focus of China's military modernization efforts are Taiwan, an island nation that China views as a renegade province. The two separated in 1949 after a civil war between the Communist and Nationalist armies, with the Nationalist forces retreating to Taiwan. China has long threatened to attack Taiwan if the island formally declares independence, and the expansion of China's military capabilities are largely geared towards a possible attack against Taiwan. "A limited military campaign could include computer network attacks against Taiwans political, military, and economic infrastructure to undermine the Taiwan populations confidence in its leadership," the report said. But the U.S., which would likely intervene in a Chinese attack on Taiwan, is also a potential target, it said. [1] http://www.defenselink.mil/pubs/pdfs/070523-China-Military-Power-final.pdf _____________________________________________________ Attend Black Hat USA, July 28-August 2 in Las Vegas, the world's premier technical event for ICT security experts. Featuring 30 hands-on training courses and 90 Briefings presentations with lots of new content and new tools. Network with 4,000 delegates from 70 nations. Visit product displays by 30 top sponsors in a relaxed setting. Rates increase on June 1 so register today. http://www.blackhat.com
This archive was generated by hypermail 2.1.3 : Mon May 28 2007 - 23:18:16 PDT