Francce also victim of Chinese cyberattacks-report

PARIS, Sep 8 (Reuters) France has been targeted by Chinese cyberattacks like the United States and Germany, French daily Le Monde said today, citing a government official.

Beijing has denied reports in Western media that Chinese hackers penetrated systems in the Pentagon and in the chancellery and key ministries of German leader Angela Merkel.

Le Monde said France had known similar attacks, quoting Francis Delon, France's secretary-general for national defence (SGDN), a body attached to the prime minister's office.

''For several weeks, I have had clear indications that France has not been sheltered from targeted attacks (from Chinese hackers),'' Delon said, according to Le Monde.

''(We have noted) signs of attacks that have touched government-controlled services ... We can speak of a serious affair,'' Delon said, but added: ''I'm not in a position to say that these attacks come from the Chinese government.'' The Pentagon has said computer hackers had gained access to an unclassified e-mail system in the office of US Defense Secretary Robert Gates, but declined to comment on a Financial Times report the Chinese army was responsible.

It said there had never been any threat to classified systems or disruption to defence operations.

In Germany, Der Spiegel magazine reported last week that the domestic federal intelligence service told the government in May that Chinese hackers had penetrated ministry networks using so-called Trojan software disguised in Word or Powerpoint files.

Britain's Foreign Office has declined to comment on a report in the Guardian newspaper that its network had also been hit, but a security source confirmed there had been frequent Chinese attempts to penetrate British government systems.

The attacks in France began after the election of President Nicolas Sarkozy earlier this year and were of ''the same origin'' as those in the other countries, according to the SGDN, Le Monde said.

China has rejected both the US and German allegations.

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