“If you believe the movies, spies in the Cold War were all men with polished manners and smart suits who could infiltrate the most protected lairs of the free world's archenemies.

International intrigue was never so glamorous, I am sure, but those old movies show us just how much the intelligence business has changed.  Espionage that was once accomplished with cameras hidden in ballpoint pens has evolved, using today’s technology, to largely depend on computers and electronics much tinier and even more prolific.

It’s always hard to gauge who is winning the war of international espionage, but there is no question that, in the computer age, America is under incessant attack.

Recently, U.S. intelligence officials reported to the public that the level of spy activity waged against America is back to Cold War intensity.  The Economist reported that the U.S. State Department is probed by hackers, vandals, and foreign nationals about 2 million times each day. Most of the attacks, including many of the boldest, are attributed to the Chinese.

America’s computer networks, and the tremendous amount of data stored on them, are prime targets for any country or terrorist group which wishes to cripple our economy.  However, American military operations are also heavily dependent on computer systems.  Any penetration of secure U.S. computer systems is a clear and present danger for our homeland security and national defense.

Because their operations are secret, we don’t know exactly how seriously American counterintelligence agencies are taking these threats or exactly what measures are in place to stop international espionage.  We do know these threats are backed up by the tremendous technological infrastructure already in place in China and other countries around the world.

Some experts caution that a large-scale attack on America’s information technology infrastructure would be just as crippling as a nuclear attack on a major U.S. city.

I know I get frustrated when my computer won’t work properly.  Imagine an attack that wipes out not one, not thousands, but several million American computers in homes, offices, financial institutions, communications facilities, energy plants and military installations.  It would be catastrophic.

Congress has already addressed the security of personal data stored on servers at U.S. businesses which use social security numbers and financial information to verify identity and computerize transactions that all used to be conducted on paper.  Data theft and identity theft are terrible crimes that now carry harsh federal penalties.

Clearly, we must also begin to think about this data, as well as the functionality of American computer systems inside and outside the government, as a strategic asset which needs defense and protection.

China and other military powers are perfecting the art of cyber-warfare, and America must not simply keep pace with their capabilities, we must ensure that the greatest country in the world also has the most secure online systems.”