The Chinese People's Liberation Army signals intelligence and cyber reconnaissance infrastructure

Understanding of communication networks can also enable a perpetrator to disrupt or even destroy a target's command and control centers should the need arise. Moreover, information collected and collated from intercepted diplomatic, military, commercial and financial communications offers potential competitors an advantage on the negotiation table or battlefield. On July 19, 2010, the People's Liberation Army (PLA) General Staff Department (GSD) unveiled the country's first Information Support (Assurance) Base. This overview offers a preliminary examination of the PLA GSD Third Department, China's premier cryptologic service. The CCP owes its success during the Chinese Civil War to signals intelligence (SIGINT) derived from interception and decoding of telegrams and radio communications. This study offers a tentative baseline for assessing the GSD Third Department, affiliated Technical Reconnaissance Bureaus (TRBs), and supporting research and development organizations. An examination of this organization, its role and function would provide a mosaic with which to better evaluate China's signal intelligence and cyber-infrastructure. The study first examines the Third Department command structure and subordinate research institutes, and then offers an overview of the Third Department's 12 operational bureaus. The discussion then focuses on the technical reconnaissance assets under each of the PLA's seven MRs, Navy, Air Force, and Second Artillery Force.