China hard at work on offensive cyber weapons

A new Defense Department report flatly states that China is continuing to invest heavily in the development of offensive cyber warfare capabilities that pose a direct threat to global computer networks, reports Defense News.

Many of the efforts to target global computer networks for instrusions and data theft in 2011 originated in China, the report states. While the report does not indicate that Bejing is accelerating its efforts, it does note that Bejing is sustaining a steady level of offensive cyber capabilities, the story said.

The annual DOD report on China's military capabilities is conducted primarily by the Pentagon's policy office and the Defense Intelligence Agency in accordance with a congressional requirement established in 2000, the story said.