China has developed its own operating system for cyber war with U.S.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 E-Mail this story Free Headline Alerts
East-Asia-Intel.com
A leading cyber security specialist said last week that China has developed its own ultra-secure operating system for a strategic edge in its cyber warfare with U.S. computer systems.
Kevin G. Coleman, a specialist with the Technolytics Institute and consultant to the office of the Director of National Intelligence, said in congressional testimony that the United States is woefully unprepared to counter cyber attacks on its electronic infrastructures.
Part of the cyber arms race includes ChinaÕs creation of Kylin, a new "hardened" operating system. It began converting systems to it in 2007, according to the current edition of East-Asia-Intel.com.
ÒChinaÕs military strategists view our dependence on space assets and information technology as Ôsoft ribsÕ and a strategic weakness,Ó Coleman told the U.S.-China Economic Security Review Commission.
ÒThis action also made our offensive cyber capabilities ineffective against them, given the cyber weapons were designed to be used against Linux, UNIX and Windows,Ó he said.
Coleman said he recently planned to meet Chinese counterparts involved in electronic research, including the co-author of the alarming book, ÒUnrestricted WarfareÓ in which co-author Wang Xiangsui advocated all methods, including terrorism, to win future conflicts. However, ChinaÕs government blocked the meeting, due to their concerns about him.
Coleman also said the meeting was cancelled amid reports of Chinese scanning of the U.S. power grid and the discovery of a Chinese cyber spying network in 103 countries.
ÒIt is my belief that this threat is real and we must take a proactive posture on acts of cyber aggression and espionage,Ó he said. ÒFor over two decades, China has been attempting to do what the Soviet Union never accomplished Ñ covertly acquire Western technology, then use it to move ahead of the West.Ó
Coleman said cyber spying is a serious and evolving threat Òthat requires immediate attention.Ó One academic study concluded that sophisticated computer attacks have been "devastatingly effective" and that "few organizations, outside the defense and intelligence sector, could withstand such an attack," he said.
Coleman also noted that the U.S. government has been unable to determine when a cyber attack constitutes an act of war.
__ Full Text, Subscribers