Columbia, South Carolina --- United States Attorney Sherri
A. Lydon announced today that she hosted a discussion entitled, “China’s Threat
to Our National Security: An Economic and Private Sector Perspective.” The discussion featured William R. Evanina,
Director of the National Counterintelligence and Security Center (NCSC) in
Washington, DC; Douglas Hemminghaus, Assistant Special Agent in Charge of
National Security and Cyber in the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Columbia
field office; and David P. Burns, Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General
in the Department of Justice’s National Security Division. In this first-of-its-kind meeting, NCSC and
the Justice Department briefed members of the legal and business communities,
heads of chambers of commerce, academics, and legislators about China’s threats
to our nation’s economic prosperity.
More than 90% of the Department of Justice’s cases alleging
economic espionage over the past seven years involved China. Over two-thirds of the Department’s cases
involving thefts of trade secrets are connected to China. The talk aimed to
educate attendees about economic threats posed by China, build bridges between
law enforcement and law-abiding members of the business community, and ensure
that attendees and their employers know that the federal government stands
ready to help should they face data breaches, insider threats, or trade secret
theft.
“The Department of
Justice and the FBI will use all available tools to respond to China’s economic
aggression and the threat that these actions pose to the prosperity and
security of the United States and other nations that respect the rule of law,”
said U.S. Attorney Lydon. “Law
enforcement cannot fight this battle alone, however. We need our corporate citizens to be informed
and vigilant about protecting themselves from victimization in this area. The conversation we had today is just the
first step in what will be an ongoing dialogue with the business community.”
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