Digging to China

DTC - China and U.S. cyber war

In 2005, the Pentagon logged more than 79,000 attempted intrusions into their network. About 1,300 were successful, including the penetration of computers linked to the Army’s 101st and 82nd airborne Divisions and the 4th Infantry Division. In August and September that year, Chinese hackers penetrated US State Department computers in several parts of the world. Hundreds of computers had to be replaced or taken offline for months. Jim Melnick, a retired Pentagon computer network analyst, told Time magazine that the Chinese military holds hacking competitions to identify and recruit talented members for its cyber army.

According to Chinese military documents and generals’ speeches, China’s ambitions extend to crippling an enemy’s financial, military and communications capabilities early in a conflict. A Pentagon assessment states that China’s military regards offensive computer operations as critical to seize the initiative in the first stage of a war. Cyber attacks by China have become so frequent and aggressive that President Bush raised the subject with Hu Jintao, the Chinese president, when they met in Sydney at the Apec summit. Mr. Hu denied that China was responsible for the attack. Is there truly a cyber war? If so, who is winning?

Guest: Larry Greenblatt, Lead instructor, Internetwork Defense

Segment 2: U.S. and Canada, Uneasy neighbors

Sharing the world’s largest undefended border, the relationship between Canada and the US is not quite as easy-going as their geographic proximity would suggest. The two countries have evolved in very different ways, but there are significant ties that bind us together, $2 billion cross-border trade every day, deep-rooted respect for democracy, human rights, and rule of law and an understanding that mutual well-being depends on mutual accomodation. But yet, there are different points of view on foreign policy, social welfare, and the military. Although people on both sides are linked by blood, culture, and business, do we really know each other?

Guest: David Kilgour, former Secretary of State of Canada, Asia Pacific