Espionage Coursework Example

Cyber espionage
Name
Institutional affiliations
Date

Week 3
For this week’s activity, watch the Four Corners episode Hacked!
http://www.abc.net.au/4corners/hacked/4717206The three main points of the episode are:
Cyber espionage with Codan
The hacking of ASIO’s plans by China
The rise of Stuxnet and Cyberwarfare
The first 10 minutes of cyber-espionage with Codan is of most interests to this activity (though all of it is relevant to this space).
Recently, the US and China agreed to stop cyber espionage activities.
Questions
Why do you think that the majority of cyber-espionage cases come from China?
There are many reasons why cyber espionage originates from China. One of the reasons of cyber espionage coming from China is that china seeks to enhance the competitive advantage of state-owned companies over other foreign companies such as those from the United States, by stealing trade secrets of this companies. Cyber espionage will also allow China to conduct surveillance this was initially preserved for superior countries. Cyber espionage from China is more than national security since it always seeks to target commercial secrets hence having an economic strength over other countries (O’Hara, 2010). Most cyber-espionage from China are either state-sponsored or are individuals who are seeking to gain financially from Chinese companies which purchase them.
Should the ‘cone of silence’ around cyber breaches for Government organisations be maintained or should compromised government agencies be legally required to disclose this to the public?
Government organizations do not disclose cyber espionage because of national security and to avoid embarrassment.

But the question which still lingers is that should this silence be maintained or should they be legally obligated to disclose to the public. Though people deserve to know if there has been a cyber breach, government organisations should be allowed to maintain the silence (O’Hara, 2010). This is because disclosing does not solve the problem and some of the disclosure might endanger the national security of countries as well as individuals. Instead of disclosing government organisations should have boards which decide on how to fix the problem. Disclosing will only seek compliance but not solve the problem.
Do you think the recent agreement between the US and China will reduce cyber espionage?
It will not reduce cyber espionage since no side has admitted to being involved in the theft of commercial secrets. China and the United States have different approaches when it comes to cyberspace governing. Interpretation of the agreement is different under the laws of these countries even though the two countries might have acted in good faith (O’Hara, 2010). The people’s liberation army is responsible for most of the cyber espionage, and they engage in this activity to supplement their salaries. Hence this may take some time for the agreement to come into effect. The driving force of cyber espionage is financial gains which might hard to stop.

ReferencesO’Hara, G. (2010). Cyber-Espionage: A growing threat to the American economy. CommLaw Conspectus, 19, 241.