Chinese hackers have targeted computers at the U.S. Department of Commerce’s Bureau of Industry and Security, prompting an almost unprecedented move to restrict Internet access across the bureau, officials said.

The Bureau of Industry and Security is responsible for enforcing export controls and treaty obligations related to export of goods from the U.S. to other countries.

BIS “discovered a targeted effort to gain access to user accounts,” Commerce Department spokesman Robert Mills said, and “took a series of immediate action steps to ensure that no data is compromised.” You aren’t going to believe this.

The BIS has restricted Internet access to stand-alone workstations that are not connected to any of its systems. It also plans to revamp its network. Instead of putting some of the existing computers that could be infected back online, the bureau will buy and set up new workstations.

“We will be setting up a new clean system with new clean hardware,” said Mr. Mills. — Red Herring

Apparently, format and reinstall isn’t good enough; the department has to have an excuse to waste money on all new hardware, and this is it.

Computer security experts have said that Chinese hackers, probably under the direction of their government, have targeted U.S. government computers in order to obtain sensitive information. Last June, Chinese hackers successfully penetrated State Department computers, resulting in the department cutting Internet access for several days.