14 DAY TRIAL // US Congressman Mike Rogers has revealed that think tanks are a constant target for Chinese and other spies because they hold valuable information.
Such companies provide research, support and strategy on policy formulation for the leaders of the US’ most important organizations, including the Pentagon, Congress, and the White House, which is why they're the targets of hackers, Rogers told USA Today.
James Andrew Lewis of the Center for Strategic and International Studies highlights the fact that many of the individuals who work at think tanks end up working at governments.
That’s why obtaining information on them before they reach the higher levels is so important.
While government computer systems might be better secured, we can’t say the same thing for devices owned by a less important organization.
Lewis claims that in 2008 and 2009, several people who moved from the private sector and think tanks to serve the Obama administration had their email accounts hacked during the transition. Most likely, the spies considered they would be easier targets before they reached the top.