FBI chief: China tops cybercrime list

FBI chief James Comey has spoken openly on the American television program ’60 Minutes’ about the danger and consequences of cybercrime for the country. In addition, he has said that China is at the top of the list when it comes to cyber attacks.

According to Comey, there are two kinds of large companies in the US: firms that have been hacked by the Chinese and firms that don’t know they’ve been hacked by the Chinese, CBS News reports. A complete list of suspected countries has not been released by the FBI chief in the television program, but Corney assures that China is at the top. The hackers are said to be aggressive and pay little attention to their cover. Corney has said the Chinese attacks are easy to identify. “I see them as drunken burglars. They kick in the front door, knock over a vase and then walk out with a television.”

The exact financial loss is unknown. It is estimated to be billions of dollars annually. Comey mentions that it also concerns intellectual property. For example, the Chinese would hunt for certain techniques, so that the country no longer has to develop them itself. That would in turn be at the expense of American employment.

In May, five Chinese hackers were charged with stealing trade secrets from six American companies. In recent years, the US and China have accused each other of hacking numerous times, including for economic purposes.