DOJ Accuses Chinese Hackers Of “Penetrating” US Companies

In the first case of its kind, US Attorney General Eric Holder has broght charges against five Chinese military officals on charges of economic espionage and other offenses related to computer hacking of US nuclear power, metals, and power industries:

*FIVE CHINESE MILITARY OFFICERS CHARGED BY U.S. WITH ESPIONAGE
*JUSTICE DEPARTMENT SAYS CHINA HACKERS PENETRATE U.S. COMPANIES
*DOJ SAYS ESPIONAGE TARGETED WESTINGHOUSE ELECTRIC, U.S. STEEL, ALCOA, SOLARWORLD

Holder added that the “range of trade secrets and other senstivive business information stolen in this case is significant and demands an aggressive response.”

As BBC reports:

The US has charged Chinese officials with hacking private-sector companies, in a first of its kind cyber-espionage case.

Attorney General Eric Holder will announce charges against five Chinese hackers, saying they broke into US companies to gain trade secrets.

The US and China have previously sparred over cyber attacks, with the US accusing China of being behind attacks on companies and US military targets.

In detail:

“This is a case alleging economic espionage by members of the Chinese military and represents the first ever charges against a state actor for this type of hacking,” U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder said in a statement.

“The range of trade secrets and other sensitive business information stolen in this case is significant and demands an aggressive response. Success in the global marketplace should be based solely on a company’s ability to innovate and compete, not on a sponsor government’s ability to spy and steal business secrets.”

The Justice Department said the U.S. victims included:

Westinghouse Electric Co.;

U.S. subsidiaries of SolarWorld AG;

United States Steel Corp.;

Allegheny Technologies Inc.;

the United Steel, Paper and Forestry, Rubber, Manufacturing, Energy, Allied Industrial Services Workers International Union; and

Alcoa Inc.