It's unknown if the attacks were launched from within China, but government officials have deflected cyber espionage concerns, while also noting it has been attacked on numerous occasions.

"From the first day the national defense ministry Web site went online, it received a large volume of uninterrupted attacks," Web site designer Ji Guilin told Chinese media.  "In the first month of operations there were more than 2.3 million hack attacks."

It's unknown what type of attacks targeted the ministry, but it's possible a DDoS attack from a botnet is possible.

The ministry opened its website over the summer to help inform western nations who had concerns related to the country's vast military modernization campaign.  China has the largest military force in the world, including up to 2.3 million soldiers.  To support such a large number, China has increased its military budget in the past three years by around 50%.

Chinese reports indicate it has received 1.25 billion hits since late August, while being attacked 2.3 million times.