 The Global Cyber Threat Environment, Module 9, Chinese Cyber Intelligence, Objectives. Once you have completed the readings, lecture, activity, and assessment, you will be able to articulate the missions of the second and third departments of the PLA's General Staff Department, describe the main reason that China consolidated its offensive cyber mission sets into the Strategic Support Force. Welcome to the Global Cyber Threat Environment, Module 9. In the previous lecture, we discussed how China's national security establishment watched incredulously as the United States used advanced technology to dismantle Iraq's antiquated military in the 1991 Gulf War. Knowing that China's military capabilities closely matched those of Iraq, China's then President Zhang Zemin quickly launched a series of long-term initiatives to bring the country on par with the other advanced nations. One way to level the playing field with the United States was to rely on asymmetric warfare. As was noted earlier, China determined that the United States was too dependent on information technology, particularly with satellite communications, and devised ways to disrupt this advantage. In addition to advancing the military's capability, China was intent on building a technologically advanced economy to compete in the global marketplace. Building a modern economy requires tremendous time and financial investment, however, so China used a simpler route, economic espionage, that is, stealing intellectual property and other proprietary information from technologically advanced countries, and using that knowledge to build its own industries. Who are the Chinese intelligence agencies that support these missions? The most active Chinese intelligence entity is its military intelligence, specifically the 3rd and 4th departments of the People's Liberation Army, General Staff Department, or GSD. The GSD is directly subordinate to the Chinese Communist Party's Central Committee and incredibly influential. The GSD's 4th department has traditionally been responsible for the military's electronic warfare mission, but also has gained a role in conducting offensive computer network operations. The GSD's 3rd department is loosely analogous to the United States National Security Agency, and is responsible for collecting signals intelligence. This department is believed to have responsibility for the computer network exploitation mission. As we discussed in the last lecture, a 2013 report by the cybersecurity firm Mandiant highlighted the hacking activities of a secretive Chinese espionage group, Unit 61398, which in fact has been assessed to be part of the GSD's 3rd department. The report pointed out, in granular detail, Unit 61398's activities included personnel, locations, IP addresses used for hacking operations, and even some of its secret tactics, techniques and procedures. The report also included evidence that the unit had targeted more than 141 public and private organizations within the United States and other English-speaking countries. Until recently, Chinese computer network operations missions were split between units with the General Staff Department, the Ministry of State Security, and the Ministry of Public Security. The Ministry of State Security, or MSS, is a non-military intelligence agency that conducts both human intelligence activities and cyber operations. It can be described as a combination of the United States, CIA, and FBI. The MSS is a sprawling agency with more than 32 provincial-level departments staffed by tens of thousands of employees. Although a large part of its mission has historically been neutralizing the threat from Taiwan, the MSS is increasingly focused on collecting intelligence from political dissidents and acquiring foreign technology and diplomatic information. The Ministry of Public Security, or MPS, is also non-military and one of the Chinese government's largest organizations. It is under direct control of the Chinese Communist Party leadership and operates as the country's principal police authority. The MPS has a wide range of missions, including intelligence, police operations, prison system operation, and political, economic, and communication security. The MPS developed and operates the Great Firewall of China, the sophisticated system that filters the Chinese Internet of content considered subversive or contrary to Chinese values. This operation is enormous as about 750 million Chinese citizens use the Internet. The MPS is also highly involved in managing China's social credit system, whereby Chinese citizens are either rewarded or sanctioned based on the quality of their civic behavior. Combined involvement of the military, the MSS, and the MPS in computer network operations has likely caused numerous problems for China. The three entities have competed for resources and stove-piked information, resulting in organizational inefficiencies and poor coordination of effort. To combat this problem, the Chinese government announced in 2015 the creation of a strategic support force that consolidated the computer network operations mission under one roof. The Chinese government also consolidated its space forces under this strategic support force, telegraphing the growing importance of space-based communication technologies to cyber warfare. Organization of these capabilities under one command that is hierarchically commensurate with the Chinese army, navy, air, and missile forces is significant. It removes the possibility that these capabilities will be held hostage as a result of bureaucratic infighting between organizations. Just over a decade ago, China set a goal of the year 2050 to have a technologically advanced military force on par with the United States. Given the country's ability to illegally acquire intellectual property and military secrets and plans from the United States and others, actions largely credited to its intelligence agencies, China may beat its goal by at least a generation. Quiz, question one, true or false? The third department of the PLA's General Staff Department is roughly analogous to the United States National Security Agency. A, true. B, false. The answer is A, true. Quiz, question two, true or false? China's strategic support force was created to help reduce the stove piping of offensive computer capabilities and other agencies. A, true. B, false. The answer is A, true. Activity, as you learned in this module, China employs advanced information technology such as facial recognition to surveil its citizens and quickly sanction them for behavior considered contrary to the values of the Chinese Communist Party. Right, a one-page reflection regarding these initiatives. Do you think the United States would benefit from greater surveillance of its citizens in the public sphere? Or do you think this type of behavior is contrary to what is expected in a democratic society?