As everyone around the world knows, China hasbecome quite the cyber-espionage powerhouse, enabling them for many years to"leap frog" over their own technological developments by exploiting theadvancements in the West to save time and money.

Alreadythis year the U.S. has experienced multitudes of IW exploits, includingan attack on an oil refinery site and at least 33 major intellectualproperty attacks against several leading commercial software companies. These companies employ some of the best and brightest applicationdevelopers in the U.S., and their source code, algorithms, and specifically, the methodology involved in the evolutionary ways in which we currently think and process information have been extrapolated and are now in the hands of an unscrupulous competitor.

Lookingthrough past and recent events in China's political, industrial,university and social activities and motives, it is very reasonable topredict that the next wave of cyber attacks will be against the Bio andNanoTechnology laboratory and research facilities, and here's why:

TheBioTechnology impact will reach far beyond the health care andpharmaceuticals industry and into areas obscure to common thought.  Itis these obscure areas that many times hold the greatest opportunity anddisruptive power.

NanoTechnologyis an obscure science to many and one that only recently began to gainthe attention of the press.  It allows for the development andconstruction of materials one atom at a time.  It is difficult toimagine an industry that will not be impacted as this advanced researchbecomes commercialized in the next several years.

The combination of Nano and BioTech will evolve (and has been evolving) into the next major revolution - "The Materials Age".

Theeconomic and political implications of winning or losing the battle tobe number one in this technology could cause a shift in global power.

Numerouslaboratories in the U.S. have already experienced major exploits fromthe Chinese and fear the attack landscape they are facing in theupcoming months and years ahead.

A 2005 report from the U.S. National Academies of Science, Rising Above the Gathering Storm warns that the U.S. "could lose its privileged position" in science, with "new competitors just a 'mouse click' away."

Demos , one of the U.K.'s most influential think tanks, published China: The Next Science Superpower? in 2007.  Their report indicates that:

" 'Whilethere is a marked improvement in the university sector, both in termsof the quantity of graduates [with around 350,000 IT graduates in 2004],and also the quality of degrees and PhDs, it would be wrong tounderplay the challenges that China must confront as it seeks to becomean 'innovation-oriented society.' "

Noted in an interview with Ze Zhang, (the Vice President of Beijing University of Technology) on May 26, 2006 after the general assembly of the Chinese Association for Science and Technology (CAST):

" 'Everyonethere was talking constantly of innovation.  But I think we are onlyjust beginning to understand what that word really means.  It's likegears grinding against one another.  There's a lot of tension betweenthe push and pull for innovation and the capacity of the politicalsystem to deliver it.' "

Zhang argues that the obstacles are in the Party, private and academic sectors:

" 'Probablythe greatest challenge is to get Chinese companies to become moreinnovative ...Reform is needed here, especially in state-ownedenterprises, where the bosses are still chosen by the Party.  It's notlike shareholders who have the company's best interests at heart.' "

" 'Another problem that has worsened in the past five years is plagiarism and research misconduct.' "

" 'Again,it's the result of politics getting mixed up with science... Everyoneworks with the door closed, in secret.  This is very bad for innovation.' "

Informationcyber-attack tactics via internet communication technology play asignificant role in all three areas. If the Party, private and academicsectors are unable to conduct innovative solutions, the next logicalstep is to conduct yet another spying escapade via politically motivatedhackers whether they are state sponsored or funded by private sectors:

On Monday, October 29, 2007, (one year and five months after the interview with Ze Zhang), Oakridge National Labs (ORNL ), the Department of Energy's largest Science and Energy laboratory, was exploited by a coordinated attack.

A database containing sensitive information of approximately 12,000 scientific researchers who visited the facility from 1990 - 2004was penetrated while attempts were made to gain access to computernetworks at numerous laboratories and other institutions across thecountry.

Several weeks before theactual exploit, there were approximately seven waves of 1,100 phishinge-mails delivered using a very sophisticated strategy:

Groupsof ORNL employees were sent out e-mail notifications regarding anupcoming scientific conference.  Others were sent a complaint on behalfof the Federal Trade Commission.  In 11 known cases, the employees tookthe bait.

Each e-mail instructed the recipient to open an attachment for further information.  And when they did, it "enabled " the hackers to infiltrate the system and remove data," Thom Mason, the Director of ORNL said.

"Everyyear we build bigger and more sophisticated fences around our databasesand every year our enemies find new and more sophisticated ways totunnel under the fence.  This is an ongoing challenge that is going tobe here as far as we can see in the future," Mason stated.

Officialsat Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washingtondiscovered and reported a similar exploit on the same day.

In late October the I.P. addresses related to the attacks were discovered to be owned by Chinese websites.
Asscience and technology advancements continue to accelerate, IW willaccelerate.  The social, economic and political impacts of theseadvancements will continue to threaten global shifts in power.

Executivesin business, government and industry must become knowledgeable enoughabout near-term breakthroughs in order to properly position themselvesand their organizations in order to defend themselves and gain proper"triage' rights in the industry to protect them against the next "TitanRain" or "Titan Hail" of IW.

Asnew advances are made, more IW advances will rapidly evolve and willexponentially increase the rate of the cyber threat model we see todaywhether they be state-funded, corporate, or academia-related (or allthree).

Thecombination of NanoTechnology and BioTechnology will evolve (and hasbeen evolving) into the next major revolution - "The Materials Age".

Theeconomic and political implications of winning or losing the battle tobe number one in this technology could cause a shift in global power.