Sprawozdanie Stanów Zjednoczonych podkreśla zagrożenie ekonomiczne hackingu

U.S. officials say a new government report details the threat hackers pose to the nation's economy, with China a clear leader among countries carrying out cyber attacks.

Officials have described the classified "National Intelligence Estimate" to U.S. media, including The Washington Post, which said late Sunday hackers are targeting the energy, finance, information technology, aerospace and automotive sectors.

Some estimates put the cost to the U.S. economy at tens of billions of dollars each year. But, with some companies reluctant to report when they are hacked, the true cost is not known.

Brad Glosserman, executive director of the Hawaii-based Pacific Forum think tank,says it is difficult to identify the true sources of cyber espionage, and that a broad range of sectors are open to attack.

"Attacks have been on the rise without question. Again, we're sort of guessing where they're coming from. As for the vulnerabilities to the financial sector, I would assume that's correct, but I would suggest that the vulnerabilities are throughout the U.S. economy," said Glosserman. "The problem is that many people do not like to speak about these things because either they're unaware they're being attacked or very reluctant to publicize their vulnerabilities."

The White House is weighing how to respond, with options including possible trade actions and visa restrictions. The Washington Post says President Barack Obama is expected to issue an executive order on cyber security this week aimed at helping the private sector protect against hacking attempts.

The newspaper says the report also names Russia, Israel and France as countries that have used cyber attacks for economic intelligence.

The Post has reported having its own systems infiltrated by Chinese hackers, as have The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times. The Chinese Foreign Ministry denied the accusations last month, calling them "baseless" and "irresponsible."

Source: voanews.com