Hackers reportedly target Apple

Apple told Reuters on Tuesday that hackers breached some of its employees' computers, but that no private data was taken.

The company said it believes the attack was conducted by the same group that infiltrated Facebook employee computers. Facebook, which also said last week that no personal information was taken, traced the attack to China. 

Apple told the news service that it is working with law enforcement to identify the hackers and that it plans to release software later on Tuesday to protect consumers' computers from similar attacks.

The admission by Apple came the same day that Mandiant, an American security firm, released a report claiming that an elite unit of the Chinese military is behind a wave of cyber attacks on U.S. businesses and government agencies.

The report concluded that a 12-story building in Shanghai is almost certainly the headquarters of China's secretive cyberwar division, the People's Liberation Army Unit 61398

House Intelligence Committee Chairman Mike Rogers (R-Mich.) has warned that the United States is losing a cyber war with China.

Rogers, along with committee ranking member Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), introduced legislation last week that would allow companies and the government to share more information about cyber threats. 

Democrats and the Obama administration are especially worried about the potential for hackers to disrupt critical infrastructure, such as an air traffic control system or a bank.

Ahead of the State of the Union address last week, President Obama signed an executive order that will create a voluntary set of cybersecurity best-practices for companies that operate critical infrastructure.

The order also requires federal agencies to share more information about cyber threats to U.S. companies and the public.

---