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The rate of Chinese hacking attempts is slowing down

There have been so many large China-based hacking attempts in recent memory that they've started to feel like daily occurrences. Mercifully, though, it appears as if the rate of intrusions is slowing down. Multiple security executives talking to Reuters believe that the rate of Chinese-origin data breaches in the US has been "tempering" in the past several months. This doesn't mean that the hacking frenzy is over by any stretch, but Trend Micro's Tom Kellermann says there's been a distinct "consolidation" in activity.

Why the noticeable dip? It's not completely clear, but the findings come just days before Chinese President Xi Jinping is due to visit the US. While this could be a coincidence, it also wouldn't be surprising if China wanted to reduce the volume of state-backed breaches ahead of an important meeting where digital security is on the table. With that said, it's doubtful that the problem will go away even if the Chinese government is putting on the brakes. There are still plenty of privately launched hacks originating in the country, and officials can only do so much to stop thieves, scammers and others focused on pure profit.

[Image credit: AP Photo/Andy Wong]