The United States is issuing a fresh warning about alleged Chinese government hacking attempts on American companies.
In an alert Wednesday, the FBI warned U.S. businesses about a group of "state-sponsored hackers" it believes routinely steals high-value information through cyber espionage.
The nine-page report, issued to companies privately, noted that other security firms have recently identified other hacking attempts by the group in question.
On Tuesday, a coalition of security companies announced a collaborative effort to help detect and prevent hacking attempts by the Chinese group, dubbed "Hidden Lynx."
The group is believed to be behind a massive 2009 hacking attempt known as "Operation Aurora," which targeted several major U.S. companies, including Google.
Washington has long said Chinese cyber theft has threatened U.S. defense secrets, hurt American companies' competitiveness on the global market, and cost American workers jobs.
But until recent months, U.S. officials had been reluctant to directly accuse the Chinese military of involvement in the hacking.
In May, the United States indicted five Chinese military members on charges of hacking into and stealing trade secrets from the computers of several large American nuclear, metal and solar companies.
China has angrily denied the accusations, saying it is the victim of U.S. spying.
