China behind cyber-attacks against US companies: Report

BEIJING, CHINA: China's military on Wednesday said the country's armed forces had never backed any hacking activities and denounced as "groundless both in facts and legal basis" US cybersecurity firm Mandiant's report that it was behind cyber-attacks against US companies.

China's laws ban any activities disrupting cyber security and Chinese government always cracks down on cyber crimes, Geng Yansheng, spokesman with Ministry of National Defense, said at a briefing.

Mandiant on Monday released a report which alleged that a secret Chinese military unit in Shanghai was behind years of cyber-attacks against US companies, reported Xinhua.

The spokesman said Mandiant's report was groundless because the report came into the conclusion that the source of attack came from China only with the discovery that attacks were linked to IP addresses based in China.

First, as known to all, it is a common sense and method on the Internet to conduct hacking attacks by peculating IP addresses, the spokesman said. "It happens almost everyday."

Second, there has been no clear and consistent definition on cyber-attacks around the world. The report is lack of legal basis to assert cyber espionage only by collecting some routine cyber activities, Geng said.

Third, cyber-attack is transnational, anonymous and deceptive with its source often difficult to be identified. Releasing irresponsible information will not help solve problems, he said.