Retired CIA chief downplays cyberwar with China

Retired CIA chief Michael Hayden downplayed the notion that the U.S. is in a raging “cyberwar” with China during a speech on Thursday at the Black Hat technology security conference in Las Vegas.

Rather than calling the situation a “war,” the U.S. should instead listen to the advice his father gave him as a nine-year-old: “Quit whining, act like a man and defend yourself,” according to the Financial Times.

He noted that the U.S. maintains a presence on foreign networks, too. “We’re actually pretty good at this, and the Chinese aren’t the only ones doing it,” he said.

The FT reports that Hayden said he agrees with the steps Washington is taking towards international agreements to limit the use of cyberweapons.

At the same time, he said he was not taking China’s power lightly.

“As an intelligence professional, I stand back in absolute awe and wonder,” he said of the China. “It is magnificent in its depth, its breadth and its persistence,” he said.