BEIJING, 18 NOVEMBER 2009 - The Web site of China's defense ministry was attacked 2.3 million times in its first month online, Chinese state media said Wednesday.
The report is a reminder that Chinese government and military bodies, often accused of cyberespionage against the U.S. and other countries, are also frequently attacked online.
The Chinese defense ministry Web site has been under "non-stop" attack since it launched in August as a gesture of transparency, said the People's Daily, the official paper of China's ruling Communist party, citing the Web site's head editor. Both invasive and "jamming" attacks have targeted the site and come in higher volume at times of major military events, the report said.
None of the attacks have succeeded against the Web site, which uses protection measures including intrusion monitoring and data backup, the report said.
Officials from the U.S. and other countries have long pressured China to increase its military transparency. The defense ministry site, which carries news reports and offers information such as profiles of China's military brass, was partly a response to those demands.
A report commissioned by a U.S. Congressional advisory panel last month said China was probably spying on the U.S. government and military contractors to prepare for future cyber conflicts.
Earlier this year China denied charges that it was involved in malware attacks on the U.S. electrical grid or in a separate cyberespionage campaign against targets including the foreign ministries of other countries.
