Chinese hackers constantly attack the US

The Naval Network Warfare Command says it is tracking and investigate hundreds of suspicious events each day from Chinese hackers, according to Federal Computer Week. It says the attacks far outstrip other attackers in terms of volume, proficiency and sophistication.

A senior Netwarcom official said that conflict has reached the level of a campaign-style, force-on-force engagement.

He said that the hackers "exploit anything and everything" and although it is impossible to confirm the involvement of China's government he reckons it is hard to believe it's not government-driven.

The hackers are stealing technology, gathering intelligence, researching defence operations and the creating sleeper software in defence department networks, the report claims.

One favourite trick was to use phishing, sending deceptive mass e-mail messages to lure DOD users into clicking on a malicious URL.

They will also use as Trojan horse viruses and worms as a distraction and then come in 'slow and low' to hide in a system while the monitors are distracted.

China seeks a position of power to ensure its freedom of action in international affairs and the ability to influence the global economy, the senior official said.

According to the FCW report, a recent Chinese military white paper states that China plans to be able to win the "informationised war" by the middle of this century. µ