U.S. considers how to confront China over cyber attacks

The United States is beginning to put its foot down in light of the recent escalation of the conflict with China over cyberspying, according to The Wall Street Journal. The Obama administration has begun considering a slew of options related to how the country should confront China, including trade sanctions, diplomatic pressure, indictments of Chinese nationals in U.S. courts and cyber countermeasures.

That the Obama administration is considering options is yet another indication of how cybersecurity has become a central issue to the United States. This consideration comes just after Secretary of State John Kerry announced the formation of a working group between Beijing and Washington, meant to address and mitigate these tensions.

U.S. security officials remain skeptical that these efforts will be enough to stop the attacks coming out of China, The Wall Street Journal reported, and their skepticism is mainly due to two new developments: new intelligence that shows the Chinese military directing cyberspying campaigns, and a change in U.S. companies’ willingness to acknowledge Chinese cyberincursions.