China is probably not threatening the us militarily, but it’s surely engaging U.S. corporations in a expensive cyber war, FBI director James Comey instructed 60 Minutes on Sunday, and no main trade is immune.

“There are two kinds of big companies in the U.S. … those who’ve been hacked via the chinese, and those who have no idea they’ve been hacked with the aid of the chinese,” Comey mentioned.

chinese state-run trade are “extraordinarily aggressive” of their tactics to obtain “data which is helpful to them in order that they don’t have to invent,” Comey said. Their main goals? intellectual property, negotiation tactics, and nearly anything that might provide them a bonus.

in step with Comey, the quantity of mental property stolen from U.S. corporations with the aid of the chinese language is “unimaginable to rely…billions.” This theft has resulted in jobs lost in U.S. metal, solar, and other industries as a result of China corporations have stolen information that permits them to fabricate their own items the usage of stolen methods instead of shopping for straight away from U.S. companies.

China isn’t refined about its efforts either. “I liken them a little bit to a inebriated burglar. they’re kickin’ within the entrance door, knocking over the vase, whereas they’re walking out together with your television set,” Comey mentioned.

In may, five contributors of China’s people’s Liberation military were indicted for hacking U.S. corporations, despite the fact that this was once the first federal cyber-crime case prosecuting state actors. Small cases like this probably may not be sufficient to discourage hackers, although, because of this the U.S. must build a safer internet to protect itself from these assaults.