Editor’s Note: In May 2011, the Wall Street Journal published an article titled “Pentagon: Cyber Attacks Can Count as Acts of War.” The article began, “The Pentagon has concluded that computer sabotage coming from another country can constitute an act of war, a finding that for the first time opens the door for the U.S. to respond using traditional military force.”
The Washington Post released a report that says Chinese hackers have broken into some of the most sensitive designs for new military technology.
The information taken by the hackers could give China a significant advantage in any conflict with the United States.
Pentagon officials said the “intrusions” had not compromised the military’s edge when it came to technological advances. However, the Post report says the compromised designs include new advanced Patriot missile systems, the Navy’s Aegis ballistic-missile defense system and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, the most expensive weapons system ever built.
“The Department of Defense takes the threat of cyber espionage and cyber security very seriously, which is why we have taken a number of steps to increase funding to strengthen our capabilities,” George Little, Defense Department spokesman, said in a written statement. “Suggestions that cyber intrusions have somehow led to the erosion of our capabilities or technological edge are incorrect.”
