Chinese cyber hacking a key concern for US officials

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-- well the US Secret Service is investigating officials cyber attack which may have targeted some of the most famous people in all the world.

The attackers posted information online which they claim -- stolen from a long list the names.

From First Lady Michelle Obama and vice president Joseph Biden to performers including beyoncé and Britney Spears.

As of now there's no way to be sure really whether the information posted on the website is real but it does include what appears to be Social Security numbers credit reports private addresses.

And even page after page of unflattering photos of the target.

The chief -- -- correspondent Jonathan Hunt as the news and he's back in our studios in New York in some folks are questioning whether he is is even real job.

A lot of questions today put a -- that -- that by officials as well as to whether this might be a real hack attack.

Or whether it might be some sort of scam we now we know that at least part of it.

Is real because the credit reporting agency Equifax has just released a statement which says in pop -- quote here.

Equifax can confirm that fraudulent and unauthorized access.

To full consumer credit reports has -- through the annual credit report dot com channel they would not say to who -- full credit reports.

Belonged and it's hard to imagine that Jay-Z beyoncé or even can -- -- in Paris Hilton.

What checking out -- credit reports online but we also know -- that some of this information was not accurate a lot of the phone numbers for instance.

We tried one of the phone numbers that was published on this website for Michelle Obama.

Turned -- to belong that -- to somebody who works at the University of Chicago which I had tried the number for Joseph Biden the vice president turns out that belongs to the Delaware seed and Gagne supply company.

I'm Donald Trump's phone numbers -- address that would put out there on this website.

Where exactly the numbers that you would get if you go gold trump had -- is so proud of it may be real.

-- of it may be top of one of these scams that we've seen before -- And all of this comes as cyber security becomes a really big issue of national concern yet we all remember of course then CIA director Leon Panetta saying that the next -- -- in the US.

Would be a cyber attack will now the national security advisor Tom Dolan is speaking out about -- And saying quite plainly when he and other US officials believe a -- number of these attacks are coming from listen.

Increasingly.

US businesses are speaking out about their serious concerns about sophisticated.

Targeted that.

A confidential business information proprietary technologies.

Through cyber intrusions emanating from China and -- very large scale.

The international community cannot afford to tolerate such activity from any country if the president and the presence in the state -- -- union will take actions to protect our economy -- cyber threats.

Now the Chinese Government has repeatedly denied any role in any hacking against US targets but very clearly.

This is becoming a big -- and bigger issue between the US and Chinese Government -- Jonathan Hunt live for us in New York Jonathan thanks so how big is this hacking threat from China let's bring in cyber security expert Morgan right.

He's live in DC Memorial -- if the accusation is that China or somebody has gone inside the Pentagon.

And inside other national headquarters of our government had that happened in the physical world that would be an act of war yet in the cyber world.

What is it.

Well first -- to set -- ship but you're having fun over there rather.

I -- no luck you're absolutely right we've reached a critical policy decision level in terms of what do we hit back I mean it's it's the you can.

Because it's soft costs right now when they attack a lot of these businesses.

It -- stamps they lose a watchful property -- -- soft dollars it cost some hard dollars to protect us but at some point -- government's gonna have to say which.

The report for -- and -- -- clearly staked out a line in the -- now the government's we've kind of forced their hands what this report.

To take a stand to say China is behind this and if you listen to what China says.

Jonathan was -- denying it but read what they said they say you have no hard evidence is not it's it's like saying I didn't commit the crime it's like saying you don't have proof I committed the crime.

So I think we had a long road ahead of us with China terms that defending our critical infrastructure.

And you wonder win the road comes to an end because we are led to believe we're told by our leaders that.

If they wanna go in and set our trains down they can if they wanna go -- his -- our electrical grid down they can and these are the kinds of an aura or economic system they can.

What it I mean if they can and they do then we have -- -- Well -- you know the doubt.

The government does that also the business of spreading judicious and out of fear uncertainty and doubt to -- policies across to say you know.

Certain things are gonna happen if we don't do this but there is a real problem in the real problem is it's -- the activities of China it's things like you're just talking about the credit reports.

We've become such an interconnected world was how do we defend our digital assets and you're right.

These are yet to do is watch the movie -- -- James Bond I was interviewed about that people said is that you know -- that factor fiction what people used to think star track was fiction.

But a lot -- -- come true we are so interconnected you're right it's not just slipping once switched but it's the cascading series of events that happens from flipping that first which.

We can't predict and that's where a lot of the consequence a lot of the damage.

Is going to the cyber world will impact the physical world.

Morgan right in Washington Morgan thank you --

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