Chinese hackers believed to be linked to Beijing conducted dozens of cyberattacks on US defense contractors in 2012 and last year, potentially compromising military operations, a congressional probe warned on Wednesday.
A study by the US Senate Armed Services Committee found that hackers gained access to systems run by companies doing contract work for the US Transportation Command (TRANSCOM) at least 50 times in a one-year period up to May 30 last year.
“Of those 50, at least 20 were successful intrusions into contractor networks attributed to an ‘advanced persistent threat’ [APT], a term used to distinguish sophisticated cyber threats that are frequently associated with foreign governments,” the report said.
The report, along with committee chairman US Senator Carl Levin, attributed all 20 APTs to China.
“The security of our military operations is what is at stake,” Levin told reporters as he unveiled a declassified version of the report.
The probe uncovered dramatic gaps in reporting requirements by the companies and poor coordination between the firms and agencies like the Federal Bureau of Investigation that left TRANSCOM virtually in the dark about the intrusions.
Of the 20 major breaches, TRANSCOM had been made aware of just two of them, a “troubling finding” according to the report.
“Information about these threats isn’t getting where it needs to go,” Levin said.
About 90 percent of US military personnel are transported on private airlines, and Senator James Inhofe, the committee’s top Republican, warned that the hacks had the potential to “disrupt our mission readiness” by compromising such companies, particularly during national emergencies.
Investigators studied the little-known Civil Reserve Air Fleet program through which companies help TRANSCOM move troops and equipment around the world.
A committee staff member said such firms might let down their guard or slow their reporting of cyberintrusions during peacetime, allowing Chinese hackers to crack into their systems and lie in wait until a US military emergency arises.
The hacking has apparently occurred for years. Between 2008 and 2010, for example, a “Chinese military intrusion” into a TRANSCOM contractor compromised e-mails, documents, computer codes and passwords, the report said.
In 2012, there was a similar intrusion into several systems on board a commercial ship contracted by TRANSCOM.
As a result of the findings, the committee said, lawmakers have inserted requirements in next year’s defense spending bill that streamline the information process about cyberattacks and tighten reporting procedures for contractors.
Beijing yesterday strongly denied the Senate panel’s claim, saying the charges were “fabricated out of thin air.”
“Chinese law prohibits cyberattacks and other crimes, and cracks down on such crimes,” Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Hong Lei (洪磊) said. “The Chinese government and military will never support hacker attacks.”
“The accusation against China is fabricated out of thin air, and is groundless,” he added. “We urge the American side to stop its irresponsible accusations against China.”
Additional reporting by AFP
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