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FBI director calls Chinese cyber-espionage â€œmost significant and complex threat facing the USâ€

07 October 2011 08:10 (UTC +04:00)

FBI Director Robert Mueller told the House intelligence committee that cyber-espionage constituted â€œone of the most significant and complex threats facing the nation.â€
When asked to name the worst offenders around the globe that pose a threat to the United States, Mueller said: â€œYou have countries such as Russia and China, others, Iran perhaps, who have capabilities that weâ€™re alert to.â€
He singled out China for its capabilities in economic cyber-spying â€” or targeting commercial data.
â€œSince 2006, weâ€™ve had several dozen cases, investigations, prosecutions of individuals related to China who have undertaken economic espionage, ex-filtration of information and the like,â€ the FBI director said.
Beijing has repeatedly denied any state involvement in cyber-attacks against government agencies and firms, including one against US Internet giant Google in early 2010 that sparked a row between the United States and China.
Mueller said cyberattacks had â€œimpacted our military, other government agencies, the financial and telecommunications sectors, and other critical infrastructure.â€
â€œAddressing this cyberthreat will be among the FBIâ€™s highest priorities now and in the years to come,â€ he told lawmakers.