Chinese hackers access U.S. weapon systems and steal blueprints to Australia’s new spy HQ months before it has even opened
- Hackers have 'compromised' U.S. designs for combat aircraft and ships
- They also accessed missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf
- Floorplans of Australia Security Intelligence Organisation's new $630m headquarters have also been stolen - before it has even been opened
- China has dismissed claims it is connected to the latest cyber attacks
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Chinese hackers have accessed designs for more than two dozen U.S. weapons systems and stolen the blueprints for Australia's new spy headquarters which hasn't even been opened yet.
These latest strikes come after months of numerous computer security breaches involving Chinese hackers as the ongoing cyber war between China and the West intensifies.
Hackers have now 'compromised' U.S. designs for combat aircraft and ships, as well as missile defenses vital for Europe, Asia and the Gulf, it has emerged.
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Security risk: Chinese hackers have 'compromised' U.S. designs for its weapon systems and stolen the floorplans of Australia Security Intelligence Organisation's new HQ
The Washington Post learned of the breach from a Pentagon report prepared for the Defense Department by the Defense Science Board.
Among the weapons listed in the report were the advanced Patriot missile system, the Navy's Aegis ballistic missile defense systems, the F/A-18 fighter jet, the V-22 Osprey, the Black Hawk helicopter and the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter.
The report did not specify the extent or time of the cyber-thefts or indicate if they involved computer networks of the U.S. government, contractors or subcontractors.
But the espionage would give China knowledge that could be exploited in a conflict, such as knocking out communications and corrupting data, the Post said. It also could speed Beijing's development of Chinese defense technology.
Chinese hackers stole plans for confidential United States weapons systems including the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter pictured here
In a report to Congress earlier this month, the Pentagon said China was using espionage to modernize its military and that its hacking was a serious concern. It said the U.S. government had been the target of hacking that appeared to be 'attributable directly to the Chinese government and military'.
China has dismissed as groundless both the Pentagon report and a February report by the U.S. computer security company Mandiant, which said a secretive Chinese military unit was probably behind a series of hacking attacks targeting the United States that had stolen data from 100 companies.
Meanwhile, news reports in Australia claim hackers linked to China stole the floorplans of the $630 million headquarters for the Australia Security Intelligence Organisation, the country's domestic spy agency.
'Compromised': A V-22 Osprey pictured here is among the aircrafts for which plans were stolen
The attack through the computers of a construction contractor exposed not only building layouts, but also the location of communication and computer networks.
Australia security analyst Des Ball told the ABC in the report that such information made the yet to be completed spy headquarters vulnerable to future cyber attacks.
'You can start constructing your own wiring diagrams, where the linkages are through telephone connections, through wi-fi connections, which rooms are likely to be the ones that are used for sensitive conversations, how to surreptitiously put devices into the walls of those rooms,' said Ball.
The building is designed to be part of a global electronic intelligence gathering network which includes the United States and the UK, but its construction has been plagued by delays and cost blowouts, with some builders blaming late design changes on cyber attacks.
The ABC report said the Chinese hacking was part of a growing wave of cyber attacks against business and military targets in the close U.S. ally.
It said the hackers also stole confidential information from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which houses the overseas spy agency the Australian Secret Intelligence Service and had targeted local companies, including steel-manufacturer Bluescope Steel, and military and civilian communications manufacturer Codan Ltd.
Chinese hackers allegedly associated with the country's government stole United States missile plans for weapons such as Patriot missile batteries (pictured here)
The influential Greens party said the hacking was a 'security blunder of epic proportions' and called for an inquiry, but the government refused to confirm the breach.
Prime Minister Julia Gillard said the reports were 'inaccurate', but declined to say how.
Australian officials, like those in the United States and other Western nations, have made cyber attacks a security priority following a growing number of attacks of the resource rich country, mostly blamed on China.
Despite being one of Beijing's major trade partners, the country is seen by China as the southern fulcrum of the U.S. military pivot to the Asia-Pacific and in 2011 agreed to host thousands of U.S. Marines in near-permanent rotation.
Australia is a major buyer for U.S. weapons systems and is one of the largest overseas customers for the Lockheed Martin manufactured F-35, as well as for Boeing's F/A-18 Super Hornet and associated weapons systems.
Chinese telecommunications giant Huawei was last year barred from bidding for construction contracts on a new Australian high-speed broadband network amid fears of cyber espionage.
Hacked: The New York Times office in Manhattan. The newspaper has reported that its computer system was breached by Chinese hackers
The Reserve Bank of Australia said in March that it had been targeted by cyber attacks, but no data had been lost or systems compromised amid reports the hackers had tried to access intelligence on Group of 20 wealthy nations negotiations.
China has dismissed the allegations by Australian media that Chinese hackers have stolen the blueprints for the new Australian spy headquarters.
Foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei said: 'China pays high attention to cybersecurity issues, and is firmly apposed to all forms of hacker attacks. Groundless accusations will not help solve this issue.'
The risk of cyber hacking came to the forefront of the news agenda after Chinese hackers were accused of being responsible for hacking The Washington Post and The New York Times earlier this year.
And just last month, hacking attacks on the servers of South Korean broadcasters and banks originated from an IP address based in China.
But China says it is impossible to tell the true origin of cyber-attacks, and accuses hostile forces of blaming it out of prejudice or a desire to put Beijing on the defensive.
Under attack: The Washington Post spent most of 2012 trying to deal with Chinese hackers who infiltrated their computer network
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