30 Chinese soldiers have been selected for a military initiative reportedly intended to bump up China’s cyber defenses. Spokesman for the Ministry of National Defence, Geng Yansheng described the program briefly:
“At present, Internet safety has become an international issue. It not only affects our civil societies but also the military. China is also a victim of Internet attacks. Right now our Internet protection system is still relatively weak. Improving Internet safety is one of the most prominent tasks of our military training. The purpose of the “Cyber Blue Team” is to improve our ability to safeguard Internet security.”
Perhaps in anticipation of Western headlines drumming up fear that this could be an offensive force, Geng emphasized that this “temporary program is aimed at improving our defenses against [cyber attacks].” He added that the moniker “Cyber Blue Team” is just a nickname within the military and that it is not an actual PLA unit.
Of course given the recent history of Chinese hackers targeting Western web properties, some skepticism about China’s new ‘cyber army’ is warranted — if you can call 30 people an army.
But in reality, China too falls victim to hackers like any other country as you can see here (hat tip to jumper).
[Via People’s Daily Online, photo from CNTV]
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