China sponsored hacking and Russia cyber activities seem to differ in two ways, the area of ‘’their targeted attack’’ and their intended goals. Chinese sponsored hacking are targeting networks across federal, state, local governments, public and private enterprises, and critical infrastructures. The aim of this attack is to gain some economic advantage by understanding and forging economic strategy of US enterprises, spying on military capabilities of the USA especially after the high-tech gulf war of 1991 and finally bottlenecking the critical infrastructures of USA to create instability.

The Biden administration official said that China’s Ministry of State Security employed criminal contract hackers “to conduct unsanctioned cyber operations globally, including for their own personal profit.” (Scoot Neuman , national security, NPR, July 19,2021)

    Russia seems to use the numerous hacking tools it possesses to the purpose of social engineering, on its worst, psychological propaganda, misinformation, disinformation, distortion and deception to gain some political advantages. These techniques seem to work in tricking people to illogical and un-informed decisions.  At the same time, Russia has also been the hiding hub of criminal organization to which they hack- cyber space of sovereign nations for ransom.

   Although the U.S. says criminal gangs of hackers with links to Russian intelligence carried out such audacious ransom-ware attacks as the one that caused Colonial Pipeline – a major U.S. petroleum distribution network – to shut down temporarily, China’s outright hiring of contract hackers is “distinct,” the official said.(Scoot Neuman , national security ,NPR, July 19,2021)

     I think most people agree an attack to the critical infrastructure and causing a blow in plant of any kind, ending-up hurting its citizens is a national tragedy. Thus, an attack in the US cyber-space is more or less as an attack on its sovereignty, and policy towards attack-funding nations should be adjusted accordingly.

            Considering the importance of technology in this era and the value intellectual properties and trade secrets holds in a market place, it’s not justifiable  to hack businesses in hopes of proving economic advantage, it anything but stealing. I think, one way to fairly address the point ‘’ in hopes of providing competitive advantages for your own nation’s companies’’ is an open diplomatic and business cooperation between nations to exchange in the bases of give-take mutuality for the betterment of all.

    Finally, Yes the USA could always do better. In the last video module 1 “Compete, Deter, and Win in Cyberspace: The 2018 National Cyber Strategy’’ It’s pointed out that even though the USA has enough tools and personals to stand an attack one area of struggle seem appear is management and coordination of all playing entities like, government agencies, corporate business and enterprises to bring them in to a hub of information and tools exchange.

Birhane: compiled and organized from course material.