Cybersecurity firm links attacks to China - WNCT | 9 On Your Side Greenville NC & Eastern NC News

The Obama administration will announce new plans this afternoon to strike back at countries that support hackers who steal American trade secrets.

The government will likely announce fines, penalties and trade sanctions against any government sponsored hackers.  The president alluded to such action during his State of the Union address.

Mandiant, a U.S.-based cybersecurity firm released a report Tuesday saying it traced at least 141 cyber attacks to a 12-story building on the outskirts of Shanghai. It is the base for a Chinese army unit.

Chinese officials deny the allegations, and say they have been the victims of U.S. hackers.

Officials at the Pentagon and Department of Homeland Security announced they will hire an additional 4,600 people to beef up their cyber forces.

This is the U.S. cyber command, where the government follows hackers trying to break into critical U.S. systems like the national power grid, air traffic control systems and financial institutions.

Experts say it's only a matter of time before hackers destroy one of these systems.

The U.S. cyber command estimates American companies are losing $250-billion a year in intellectual properties.