▁revealed ▁in ▁a ▁research ▁report ▁last ▁year . ▁The ▁Pent agon ▁stated ▁that ▁the ▁People ' s ▁Liber ation ▁Army ▁was ▁using ▁" information ▁war fare ▁units " ▁to ▁develop ▁vir uses ▁to ▁attack ▁enemy ▁computer ▁systems ▁and ▁networks , ▁and ▁those ▁units ▁include ▁civil ian ▁computer ▁profession als . ▁Commander ▁Bob ▁Me hal ▁would ▁monitor ▁the ▁P LA ' s ▁bu il dup ▁of ▁its ▁cy ber war fare ▁capabilities ▁and ▁" will ▁continue ▁to ▁develop ▁capabilities ▁to ▁counter ▁any ▁potential ▁threat ." ▁In ▁response ▁to ▁these ▁and ▁other ▁c land est ine ▁cy ber ▁attacks ▁by ▁China , ▁Am it ai ▁Et zioni ▁of ▁the ▁Institute ▁for ▁Commun itar ian ▁Policy ▁Studies ▁had ▁suggested ▁that ▁China ▁and ▁the ▁United ▁States ▁should ▁agree ▁to ▁a ▁policy ▁of ▁mut ually ▁assured ▁rest raint ▁with ▁respect ▁to ▁cy bers pace . ▁This ▁would ▁involve ▁allowing ▁both ▁states ▁to ▁take ▁the ▁measures ▁they ▁de em ▁necessary ▁for ▁their ▁self - def ense ▁while ▁simultaneously ▁agree ing ▁to ▁ref rain ▁from ▁taking ▁off ensive ▁steps ; ▁it ▁would ▁also ▁ent ail ▁v et ting ▁these ▁commit ments . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 0 , ▁American ▁General ▁Keith ▁B . ▁Alexander ▁end ors ed ▁tal ks ▁with ▁Russia ▁over ▁a ▁proposal ▁to ▁limit ▁military ▁attacks ▁in ▁cy bers pace , ▁representing ▁a ▁significant ▁shift ▁in ▁U . S . ▁policy . ▁ ▁In ▁ 2 0 1 1 ▁as ▁part ▁of ▁The ▁An onymous ▁attack ▁on ▁H B G ary ▁Federal ▁information ▁about ▁private ▁companies