An independent report issued by the congressional advisory panel said some elite groups of hackers are controlled by Beijing officials who issue the groups orders on targets to attack.

The Chinese government continues to build a cyber army aimed at attacking the U.S. government and other western nations, the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission noted in its report.  The Pentagon, electric grids, and similar high-profile targets need to be better protected from foreign-based threat.

Even without endorsement of the Chinese government, independent hackers still pose a serious threat.  The U.S. military has created a new cyber defense department to better protect military computer networks, even though a recent report is pleading with the government not to spend a lot on cyberdefense.  President Barack Obama also is expected to announced a cyber security advisor who will discuss cyber issues with officials.

Along with China, hacker groups in Eastern Europe and North Korea have also reportedly attacked western targets in the past.  If the U.S. government cannot do a better job protecting its infrastructure, cyber attacks that end in compromised data, crippled networks and heavy repair costs will begin to devastate victims.