Chinese cyber security experts believe that U.S.-based hackers were responsible for a significant increase in cyber attacks on computers within China’s borders in 2013, according to Reuters. According to China’s National Computer Network Emergency Response Coordination Centre, 15,000 computers were hit by Trojan Horse malware and 61,000 websites were attacked by hackers located outside of China. These statistics represent a 62 percent increase in 2013 compared with 2012.
Hacking attacks on Chinese computers in 2013 rose by more than half compared with the previous year, with attacks coming from the United States making up a significant proportion, China’s top Internet security agency said on Friday. Beijing and Washington have been squaring off for months over the issue of cyber attacks, each accusing the other of hacking into sensitive government websites. China has long singled out the United States as the top source of intrusion on its computers. China’s National Computer Network Emergency Response Coordination Centre, said the country’s Internet faced “many security threats”, creating a “challenge” for China’s overall security.