A series of computer breaches has galvanized lawmakers. | M.Scott Mahaskey/POLITICO Washington talks cybersecurity

Washington is grappling again with the prying eyes of Chinese hackers.

A string of computer breaches at The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Washington Post and other media organizations has drawn a frustrated response from the White House and galvanized lawmakers who have failed for years to improve the country’s cyberdefenses.


( Also on POLITICO: Online activists fret over extremism)

There isn’t much the Obama administration or Congress could have done in advance to stave off the latest series of attacks. But the incidents illuminate the threats emanating from abroad, not to mention the lagging Washington work to protect tech companies, power plants, big banks and now major newspapers from them.

“This is just another reminder of how relentless and sweeping China’s cyberattacks are,” said Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee. “The attacks on the U.S. banking industry and now major media outlets who dared publish stories critical of the Chinese government prove this is not a theoretical threat.

( Also on POLITICO: N.Y. Times attacked by Chinese hackers)

“Foreign cyberattackers are targeting every aspect of the American economy every day and Congress needs to act with urgency to protect our national security and our economy.”

The renewed Beltway interest in cybersecurity follows the Wednesday revelation that the Times had fallen prey to a four-month attack thought to have originated in China. The trouble began shortly after the newspaper published a critical story about the country’s prime minister.

In the days to come, though, it became apparent that the Times wasn’t alone: The Wall Street Journal also said it battled back Chinese hackers who spied on reporters covering issues related to the country. Sources told the Times that Bloomberg News once experienced similar difficulties. And The Washington Post acknowledged on Saturday its own run-in with digital spies thought to be operating in China. Authorities in Beijing reportedly have rejected any connection to the incidents.

Those high-profile attacks, however, are only the latest in a series of similar cyberattacks that have been pegged to China. In 2010, for instance, Google discovered a breach into its Gmail system believed to be associated with agents in Beijing. Those hackers appeared to seek data on a number of users, including regional human-rights activists. The highly publicized affair eventually prompted Google to seek the help of the National Security Agency.

Both the Times and the Journal signaled this week that they, too, are working with federal authorities to determine the cause and extent of the breaches. Asked about the incident, White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden declined comment on the specific attacks — but she did say the United States “has substantial and growing concerns about the threats to U.S. economic and national security posed by cyberintrusions, including the theft of commercial information.”

“We have repeatedly raised our concerns with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so,” she continued.

“The United States and China are among the world’s largest cyberactors and regularly discuss threats to cybersecurity. It is vital that we continue a sustained, meaningful dialogue and work together to develop an understanding of acceptable behavior in cyberspace.”

It’s widely believed the Federal Bureau of Investigation has opened an inquiry into the matter, but a spokeswoman told POLITICO on Friday the agency could neither confirm nor deny the speculation. The FBI representative said it is standard policy not to reveal those details.

( Also on POLITICO: Chinese hackers also targeted WSJ)

Meanwhile, a spokeswoman at the State Department emphasized Friday that the agency has “been clear with the government of China that we need to continue to talk about this."

Added Victoria Nuland at a press briefing: “The New York Times’s experience mirrors that of individuals and organizations across the U.S. government and private sector, and we are encouraging those who have had these experiences, whether they’re in China or anywhere else in the world, to share them and to take this opportunity to review their security protocols because this is unfortunately a substantial and growing concern.”

The Pentagon, however, did not comment for this story. Still, the agency plays a critical role maintaining the country’s cyberdefenses: As it bulks up its military prowess in cyberspace, DoD is in the midst of rewriting its broad rules of engagement, which could specify more clearly when a cyberincident merits an official U.S. military response.

As the Obama administration charts a new course on cyberspace policy, it’s also preparing an executive order meant to improve the digital defenses at power plants, water systems and other forms of critical infrastructure.

The order, expected this month, has virtually nothing to do with the attacks hamstringing media organizations. It’s meant instead to improve cyber security at critical U.S. assets, while helping them share data about emerging digital threats. The White House's work on such a plan follows years of internecine quarreling on Capitol Hill that has prevented progress on a more robust legislative fix — though lawmakers said this week they haven't abandoned hope they can finalize a law soon.

“The revelation of repeated attempts by Chinese hackers to break into The New York Times and Wall Street Journal systems is yet another example of how vulnerable our nation is to cyberattacks,” said Rep. Mike McCaul (R-Texas), the new leader of the House Homeland Security Committee.

“Attacks like this and the recent cyberattacks on U.S. banks are further evidence that we must harden our networks against espionage by enacting comprehensive cybersecurity legislation to bolster our defenses against enemies who seek to steal our intelligence, intellectual property and dismantle our critical infrastructure,” he said.

Parochial and partisan interests kept the House and Senate from finding consensus on cybersecurity reform last year. The so-called CISPA bill backed by Rogers and his Democratic counterpart on the Intelligence Committee, Rep. Dutch Ruppersberger of Maryland, even drew a veto threat from the White House. While that measure still cleared the lower chamber, it ultimately had no shot in the Senate, where leaders produced a comprehensive bill that couldn’t muster enough support for a final floor vote.

A cadre of new leaders now plans to reopen the debate. If anything, the intrusions at news organizations has provided only more political fodder to jump-start the process.

“These latest reports of yet another sophisticated cyberattack — this time on several U.S. media outlets — underscores the scary reality of how vulnerable we really are to cybercriminals, terrorists and nation-states seeking to use technology to steal from us or do us harm,” said Sen. Tom Carper (D-Del.), chairman of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee.

“Whether launched from the home of a hacker or from the command center of a foreign nation, attacks of any size can hurt our individual pocketbooks, our nation’s economy and global competiveness, and undermine the free exchange of our thoughts and ideas.”

Even in the absence of a symbolic incident, it would have been necessary for Congress to revive the cybersecurity fight. The Obama administration has spent months trying to impinge on lawmakers the reality that an executive order cannot accomplish the full slate of reforms needed to safeguard U.S. assets while incentivizing businesses to improve their defenses.

To that end, House lawmakers already have started the process of meeting with stakeholders — particularly in the banking community, which has wrestled recently with a series of disruptive cyberattacks targeting their websites. In the Senate, a collection of key Democrats has put forward an early, symbolic bill — not real legislation but a placeholder indicating more legislative text to come.

“We can’t wait any longer to protect ourselves from these threats, and I know my colleagues agree that passing cybersecurity legislation is a priority,” said Sen. Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.), the leader of his chamber’s Commerce Committee.

Ruppersberger, separately, agreed: "These continued cyberassaults show a growing threat to our nation. It is important that we do everything we can to prevent these attacks, starting with shoring up our defenses and making sure all information on these threats is shared fully and quickly."

This article first appeared on POLITICO Pro at 5:06 p.m. on February 1, 2013.