A timeline of cyber-attacks from China

A new report released by Mandiant, an American cyber-security consultancy, reveals an astonishing history of hacking and online theft by a group based in Shanghai, China. Mandiant believes the hackers are part of the Chinese army. The firm saw at first hand how the group, dubbed the "Comment Crew", broke into the computer networks of over a hundred Western corporations and government institutions. Over the course of many years, the cyber thieves targeted nearly two dozen industries, with special attention paid to those in technology and sectors considered "strategic" by the central government. Despite the detailed evidence presented by the firm in its report, the Chinese government denies wrongdoing.