German firms warned by security office on Chinese hacking after US tip-off

Germany's Office for Information Security (BSI) has issued warnings to several German firms named by the United States as possible victims of hacking attacks, a newspaper reported, adding that Chinese activity against German firms had increased.

Cyber experts have long warned that Germany - with its high level of technology expertise - is a particularly attractive target for cyber attackers of all kinds, including state actors.

"Construction and materials research, engineering firms and some big commercial enterprises are the focus for hackers," the Sueddeutsche Zeitung wrote on Wednesday without naming its sources.

The United States is embroiled in a trade conflict with China