By Kim Kalunian and Steve Klamkin, WPRO News
According to a report from the New York Times, a 60-page study released by Mandiant, a computer security firm, has linked cyber-attacks on American corporations to a building that houses a People Liberation Army base in China.
The study links the Chinese military to a mounting number of cyber-attacks on the U.S.
The Times reported that Tommy Vietor, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said, “We have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cybertheft with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so.”
Locally, Congressman Jim Langevin has been a huge proponent for increased cyber security measures for years. He told WPRO Tuesday that the U.S. needs to make greater strides in cyber security.
"We have to get better at cyber security,” he said. “We're making progress on that front but not enough."
He said Congress needs to pass more bills that would strengthen cyber security, since Americans use the Internet for everything from social networking to commerce and banking. Unless security measures are strengthened, Langevin said a cyber-attack could compromise national security.
"We obviously have a big problem in America: we're so dependent on the Internet,” he said, “It affects our daily lives in so many ways."
According to a PEW Research poll from 2012, the general population and “experts” (government officials, retired military, media and scholars) were surveyed on their greatest concerns regarding America’s relationship with China. About half of those in the general public group said their greatest concern was economic, but the majority of “experts” said a Chinese cyber-attack topped their list of concerns.
