The chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee accused the Pentagon’s No. 2 of deceiving lawmakers on Tuesday by not identifying the Chinese as a major source of cyberattacks against the U.S.
Deputy Defense Secretary Bob Work was asserting the Obama administration’s position on hacks that take place against the U.S., much to the frustration of Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz.
“In some cases, China will say this was a hacker in our country that we have no control over,” Work said. He said an agreement that President Obama established with President Xi Jinping this month was a “confidence-building” measure, and said “the proof will be in the pudding, how the Chinese react to this.”
“I can’t help but comment,” McCain responded. “We have identified the [Chinese People’s Liberation Army], the building in which they operate. Please don’t deceive this committee as though we don’t know who’s responsible for [the cyberattacks].
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2572750
“That’s just very disingenuous. There have been very public reports that we have identified the PLA building where these attacks come from,” he added.
McCain didn’t give Work an opportunity to respond before moving on.
The hearing, which was held for defense officials to brief senators on the state of American cybersecurity, included Director of National Intelligence James Clapper and Adm. Mike Rogers, Commander of U.S. Cyber Command and head of the National Security Agency.
The agreement reached between the U.S. and China stated the countries would not engage in hacking for commercial benefit. The two countries have been at odds over the past year in the face of increasing Chinese cyberattacks on American companies, and also against its defense community. That includes an intelligence-related breach of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, which resulted in the loss of background information on 21.5 million people who have applied for security clearances from the federal government. The Obama administration has refused to attribute the attack to China, and intelligence officials have said it was a legitimate target for the Chinese.
Clapper also drew some of McCain’s wrath on that topic. “What [the OPM breach] represents of course is espionage,” Clapper said. However, he added, “We too practice cyberespionage. In a public forum I can’t say how successful we are, but we’re not bad at it.
Related Story: http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/article/2573011
“So when we talk about what we’re going to do … well, I think it’s a good idea to think about the old saw about people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw rocks.”
McCain responded: “So it’s OK for them to steal our secrets that are most important because we live in a glass house? That is astounding.”
