U.S. protesting China cyberattacks

It is hardly surprising that Chinese leaders are using the Internet for espionage, or that they would seek to employ the technology to identify and muzzle dissidents who challenge their authority and threaten the regime.

Part of the problem has been the complicity of online services like Google and Yahoo, but it appears that times are changing, and that the U.S. government is now also weighing into the fray. Last week, Google announced that its "corporate infrastructure" had been hacked and its intellectual property stolen. It also revealed that G-mail accounts of dozens of human rights activists in China, Europe and the United States were penetrated.

The State Department said it will issue an official protest in Beijing, expressing U.S. concerns over the attacks and demanding an explanation. It's unclear whether this complaint will be for show and soon forgotten, or a shift in human rights policy regarding China and a broader statement on cyberattacks.

A State Department spokesman said the incident raises questions about both Internet freedom and the security of the Internet in China.

Google, having faced much criticism in the past, said it no longer will filter Internet searches on its Chinese search engine, Google.cn. Google also threatened to pull out of China if the government does not allow it to operate uncensored.

It is considered unlikely that China will alter its behavior because of a diplomatic protest. In the end, those doing business in China will need better security measures, and the users of the systems will have to be aware that they can be constant targets.

For more on this controversy:
- see this CIO.com article

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