Raising the Cybersecurity Political Stakes

First the Chinese government was accused of hacking into German government networks. Then they were accused of infiltrating Pentagon systems. Now government officials in the United Kingdom say they have found evidence of Chinese cybersnooping in its networks.

While the Chinese government denies they are behind the hack attempts, media reports indicate governments are alarmed about the attacks. But most cybersecurity experts who closely follow international cybersecurity issues acknowledge that these kinds of cyberattacks aren't really new. In fact, one expert in Washington, D.C., known for his careful use of language when it comes to describing the threat of state-sponsored cyberattacks, told me a year ago that almost anything worth stealing in commercial and government networks (with the exception of top-secret, classified information) has already been stolen. It's too late to close the barn door because the cows have already escaped.

Yes, the cyberattacks are more "flagrant and brazen," according to a security expert quoted in an Associated Press article. But the expert says such attacks have been going on for more than four years.

The difference now, the AP reports, is that the political stakes have been raised. What will the response be?