US Tells China It Must Put An End To Cyberattacks

China has been the source of many cyberattacks against US organizations, businesses and media companies, many of which revealed earlier this year the extent of the attacks they suffered. Some such companies include The New York Times, Washington Post, and Wall Street Journal, just to name a few. In response, the White House has called for China's government to put an end to its cyberattacks, and to instead act in accordance to "acceptable norms of behavior in cyberspace."

The demand came from Tom Donilon, national security adviser to the president. He outlined three courses of actions the United States government would like the Chinese government to follow, which are as follows: public recognition of the issue, assurance that Chinese hackers will be targeted and dealt with proactively, and consent to being part of talks on forming worldwide cyberspace standards.

Said Donilon: "Increasingly, U.S. businesses are speaking out about their serious concerns about sophisticated, targeted theft of confidential business information and proprietary technologies through cyberintrusions emanating from China on an unprecedented scale. The international community cannot tolerate such activity from any country."

Not surprisingly, China denied the claims, stating that they were fabricated to make the nation look bad. Yesterday, the nation called for global "rules and cooperation" in regards to hacking, claiming that it likewise has suffered cyberattacks, with its attackers being traced back to the United States. Said the nation's foreign minister Yang Jiechi, "[The] international community is closely interconnected on the Internet, therefore cyberspace needs rules and cooperation, not war."

[via New York Times]