US President Barack Obama repeatedly stressed the importance of the Internet during his campaign. He asked the relevant departments to assess the security of the American network, and to prepare for the implementation of information hegemony to continue the work of controlling the new generation of Internet Root Servers. The assessment report released by the US government on May 29, 2009, said that cyberspace threats have become one of the most serious economic and military threats facing the United States. The report emphasized that the US must show the world they were seriously responding to the challenge.. Against this background, Microsoft announced the closure of MSN services for Cuba, Iran, Syria, Sudan and the DPRK. But the world opinion considers this as information sanction instead of meeting a challenge.
A report from the New York Times on May.31, 2009, claims that almost all large military enterprises -- including Northrop Grumman Corp, General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin and Raytheon Co -- have network contracts with the intelligence agencies of the US military. The first two enterprises engage in "offensive cyber war", which includes stealing other countries' sensitive information or paralyzing their networks by developing software tools after finding vulnerabilities in their computer systems.
The US Department of Defense announced a plan to establish the "United States Cyber Command" on June 23, 2009, in order to gain advantage in the field. Pentagon spokesman Whitman said the new command is going to "focus on protection". Only they themselves believe such a word. It is clear that the aim of founding the new command is to integrate the high-tech military units in different parts of the country and to strengthen defense. More importantly, it aims to improve the offensive ability and launch a preemptive cyber attack against "enemy countries" if necessary. For a long time in the past, the Pentagon has stressed that Internet is part of war and is a "military front". Before the first Gulf War, the CIA had planted a "virus chip" in the printers purchased by Iraq. They activated the virus using remote control technology before launching the strategic bombing. Then the air defense control system of Iraq suffered a failure. According to the estimation of defense expert Joel Harker, who has been studying the hacker program of the US military for 13 years, the US now has about 80,000 personnel engaging in cyber warfare. In terms of the "weapons" for cyber warfare, they have developed more than 2,000 computer viruses which could be used in cyber attacks such as Worms, Trojans, Logic Bombs and trap door viruses.
(Source: chinadaily.com.cn)
Related:
China urges U.S. to stop accusations on so-called Internet freedom
BEIJING, Jan. 22 (Xinhua) -- China urged the United States to respect facts and stop unreasonable accusations on China in the name of so-called Internet freedom.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu made the remarks on Friday when commenting U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's speech. Full story
China says Google case should not be linked to ties with U.S.
BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China said Thursday that its issues with Google should not be "over interpreted" or linked to Sino-U.S. relations.
"The Google case should not be linked with relations between the two governments and countries; otherwise, it's an over-interpretation," said Vice Foreign Minister He Yafei at a press conference. Full story
Google, do not take Chinese netizens hostage
BEIJING, Jan. 20 -- It is ordinary for a commercial company to enter and exit the Chinese market, but this is not the case for Google. Firstly, it gave the Chinese government an ultimatum, requiring the latter to make a concession, which is obviously political in nature. In addition, Google's move won the collective support from the U.S. government, congress and western media agencies, so this event has completely been politicized. Such politicization was not provoked by China, but imposed by the U.S. and the west onto China. Full story
China says Google "no exception" to law
BEIJING, Jan. 19 (Xinhua) -- A Chinese government official said Tuesday that Google was "no exception" in observing China's laws and shouldering its social responsibilities.
"Foreign companies in China should respect the laws and regulations, respect the public interest of Chinese people and China's culture and customs and shoulder due social responsibilities," said Foreign Ministry spokesman Ma Zhaoxu at a regular press briefing. Full story
