Chinese hackers stole secret plans for new US Navy weapon
Ns News Online Desk: Chinese government hackers broke into a US Navy contractor’s computers and stole a trove of data — including secret plans to develop a supersonic anti-ship missile for use on US subs by 2020, a new report said Friday.
The hacks took place in January and February and targeted an unidentified contractor who works for the Naval Undersea Warfare Center in Newport, R.I., that conducts research and development for submarines and underwater weaponry, The Washington Post reported, citing US officials.
The stolen data included secret information about a project known as Sea Dragon, as well as cryptographic systems and the Navy submarine development unit’s electronic warfare library, the paper reported. The cyber attacks were part of China’s effort to become the dominant sea power in the Asian Pacific, and come as Presideent Trump has touted his relationship with Chinese President Xi Jinping, whom the president is relying on to help negotiate an end to North Korea’s nuclear weapons program. The commander-in-chief lavished praise on his Chinese counterpart in April.
“I want to thank publicly President Xi of China, who has done more for us than he’s done for any other administration, or than any leader of China has done for any president or administration,” Trump said then.
The Navy and the FBVI are leading the investigation into the cyber crime. “There are measures in place that require companies to notify the government when a ‘cyber incident’ has occurred that has actual or potential adverse effects on their networks that contain controlled unclassified information,” Navy spokesman Cmdr. Bill Speaks told the DC paper.