China Is Aggressively Hacking US Companies for Economic Gain, Officials Say

The United States’ National Intelligence Estimate has concluded that China is the most aggressive country when it comes to hacking the computer systems of US organizations in an effort to obtain data that can be used for economic gain. 

The report has not been made public, but sources familiar with it have told The Washington Post that it contains information on cyberattacks that targeted various sectors, including aerospace, finance, energy and IT.

While the exact losses are not presented, it is made clear that cyber espionage campaigns represent a direct threat to the economy.

Besides China, three other countries are also named as posing a threat: Russia, Israel and France. However, the report emphasizes that China is the most aggressive.

China has often denied sponsoring cyberattacks against US networks. Over the past weeks, three major US newspapers have reported being attacked by China, but the country’s officials argue that the accusations are based solely on some IP addresses.

And since France has been mentioned in the report, it’s worth noting that, in November, French authorities accused the US of hacking into the computer networks from Elysee Palace, the president’s residence.