Few are as qualified to speak, or as outspoken, as retired Gen. Michael Hayden on the topic of cyberespionage. Gen. Hayden, after a career in the U.S. Air Force, became the only person to have served as director of both the National Security Agency and the Central Intelligence Agency. Today he is a principal at the Chertoff Group, a global advisory firm focused on security and risk management.
GEN. HAYDEN: The current story is this was done by the Ministry of State Security—very roughly the [Chinese] equivalent of the CIA. Those records are a legitimate foreign intelligence target. If I, as director of the CIA or NSA, would have had the opportunity to grab the equivalent in the Chinese system, I would not have thought twice, I would not have asked permission.
So this is not shame on China. This is shame on us for not protecting that kind of information.
This is a tremendously big deal. And my deepest emotion is embarrassment.