Economic Espionage by Iran, China, and Russia Against the U.S.

The U.S. National Counterintelligence and Security Center believes that hackers from China, Iran, and Russia are continuously attacking U.S. economic and military facilities. According to the Associated Press, this security agency has stated that hackers from these three countries have the capability to hack and access U.S. economic information and trade secrets. Based on this report, Iranian hackers using the alias 'Rocket Kitten' are consistently targeting U.S. defense industry companies to find programs that could enhance their missile and aerospace programs. Russian hackers attacked several U.S. energy companies last year. The report mentions hackers identified as APT10 are continuously attacking U.S. aerospace, communications, and engineering industries. According to information released by the U.S. government on Thursday, while Russia's interference in the 2016 presidential election has been confirmed by U.S. security and intelligence agencies, hackers from Iran, China, and Russia are seriously pursuing access to U.S. trade secrets. The National Counterintelligence and Security Center's report states that 'economic and industrial espionage against the U.S. is one of the main security threats to the United States.' The report indicates that Iran, China, and Russia have the highest capabilities to carry out such threats. The Associated Press writes that cyber espionage is a low-cost but high-reward method if successful. Hackers are attacking educational organizations, universities, and large companies to obtain information. The report from the National Counterintelligence and Security Center states that information sharing in the cloud and the addition of artificial intelligence impose greater vulnerabilities on U.S. networks. The report also adds that hostile forces against the U.S. are hiring professional hackers and training spies to infiltrate foreign students studying in the U.S. The report has compiled a list of industries targeted by foreign espionage agents. This list includes oil and gas companies, methane extraction, smart electric and energy networks, wind and solar energy production industries, modern pharmaceuticals and vaccines, naval defense industries and radar, dual-fuel and electric vehicles, air pollution control technology, machines operated by powerful computers used in large companies and factories, aerospace technology, and quantum computing analysis. The report also mentions that Chinese joint venture investment companies are looking for technical implementation methods. It states that if a solution is not found for this threat from China, the U.S. economic capacity will face serious long-term risks. The report adds that Iran is typically engaged in cyberattacks against parties in the Middle East that it considers hostile powers, such as Israel and Saudi Arabia, while simultaneously attempting to infiltrate U.S. networks to obtain technological information for economic growth, military modernization, and increased exports. The report states: 'The loss of sensitive information regarding technology is not only a serious threat to U.S. national security, but it also allows Tehran to update its technologies, enhance its economic growth, and modernize its military industries to increase foreign sales and exports.' The U.S. government has been monitoring the cyber activities of hackers believed to be linked to the Islamic Republic for years and has sanctioned or prosecuted some of them in certain cases. According to the Associated Press report, U.S. officials have accused Iran of paving the way for 'cyberattacks.'