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The Chinese information war : espionage, cyberwar, communications control and related threats to United States interests
Poindexter D., McFarland & Company, Inc. Publishers, Jefferson, NC, 2013. 200 pp. Type: Book (978-0-786472-71-0)
Date Reviewed: Dec 11 2013

What is “war”? Are we in one? If so, how do we know it? These are the primary questions addressed by the author in this book. He lays out a case that the Chinese government, both alone and in collusion with Chinese businesses, is using various techniques to gather intelligence about and steal technology from the US and other Western countries to acquire the ability to disrupt these countries in various ways. The techniques include espionage, hacking into government and private networks, and using business arrangements to acquire and steal technologies. Their goal, according to the author, is “bending our will to their own.”

Citing public news and government reports, the author presents evidence that the Chinese government directly through its military, and indirectly through in-country hackers, has explored the US infrastructure grid, financial networks, and private company networks, apparently seeking ways to control or disrupt them. In addition, it is alleged that they are using business agreements that give them access to knowledge of the technologies used, thus allowing them to build counterfeit copies, and possibly to build backdoors into devices they produce that we employ in our infrastructure.

The situation goes against “the first principle of war”-- never be at war with anyone. This principle, from The art of war by Sun Tzu, states that “all warfare is based on deception.” The author notes many ways that the Chinese practice deception. We find in this book considerable detail about types of nefarious computing activities, deceptive military practices, and techniques that might be used in hostile actions. For example, the book describes how, for about 15 minutes in April 2010, 15 percent of all Internet traffic was routed through servers in China. Was that an error, or a dry run for a disruptive act or intelligence gathering?

The book is written in a non-technical style, making the material readily understandable to lay readers. It categorizes the types of warlike activities that can be carried out in a nominally peaceable environment, providing a compelling and unsettling view of China’s behavior as a global competitor. The book is well referenced with both chapter notes and a bibliography. It should be of interest to, and approachable by, those without a technical background who are interested in global competition among countries and what it means to be “at war.”

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Reviewer:  G. R. Mayforth Review #: CR141799 (1402-0129)
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