Article 43
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Bad Moon Rising Part 24 - Chinese Cyber-Threat
THREE YEARS AGO I mused about China hiding stuff in computer hardware, not unlike SONY’S STUNT hiding rootkits in CDs.
The difference is Sony did it to make money.
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US wary of Chinese cyber-threat
PC Pro
November 16, 2007
A US congressional advisory panel has warned that Chinese cyber attacks and espionage now constitute the “the single greatest risk” to US technology.
The US-China Economic and Security Review Commission, a bipartisan body comprised of six democrats and six republicans, was established in 2000 to examine potential Chinese threats to US national security.
Speaking on the use of cyber-warfare the panel says, “China is convinced that, financially and technologically, it cannot defeat the United States in a traditional force-on-force match up.”
“However, as Chairman of the Defense Science Board Dr. William Schneider highlighted, if it can acquire niche weapons systems that are relatively inexpensive and that can exploit US vulnerabilities, it stands a chance of deterring or defeating the United States in a limited engagement.”
Among its recommendations the panel asks Congress to examine “military, intelligence, and homeland security programs that monitor and protect critical American computer networks and sensitive information, specifically those tasked with protecting networks from damage caused by cyber attacks.”
The recommendations are certain to enflame the row that erupted when the US admitted that Chinese hackers had breached its defence network; an accusation denied by China and promptly deflected back before US lawmakers proposed legislation to ban its internet companies from cooperating with Chinese authorities.
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MI5 Warns Of Cyber Threat From China
PC Pro
December 3, 2007
MI5 has sent a letter to 300 UK companies warning of the threat from Chinese hackers, according to reports from the Times.
The letter, written by MI5 director general, Jonathan Evans, warns that many companies are under threat from “Chinese state organisations”, and that some have already been the victim of coordinated attacks.
The article claims that Rolls Royce and Royal Dutch Shell have both been subjected to “sustained spying assaults” which aimed to steal sensitive commercial information.
MI5 will neither confirm nor deny that they sent such a letter. “We’re not prepared to comment on a leaked private correspondence,” a Home Office spokesperson told PC Pro.
As early as 2001, the then foreign secretary, Robin Cook, warned MPs that computer espionage could be a bigger threat to the UK than terrorism. In September this year it was claimed that attacks on government computers were perpetrated by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.
The US, too, has expressed concerns about security threats from China; a US congressional advisory panel recently labeled computer attacks from China “the single greatest risk” to US technology.
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Chinese Backdoors “Hidden In Router Firmware”
PC Pro
March 4, 2008
The UK’s communication networks could be at risk from CHINESE BACKDOORS HIDDEN IN FIRMWARE, according to a security company.
SecureTest believes spyware could be easily built into Asian-manufactured devices such as switches and routers, providing a simple backdoor for companies or governments in the Far East to listen in on communications.
“Organisations should change their security policies and procedures immediately,” says Ken Munro, managing director of SecureTest. “This is a very real loophole that needs closing. The government needs to act fast.”
“Would they buy a missile from China, then deploy it untested into a Western missile silo and expect it to function when directed at the Far East? That’s essentially what they’re doing by installing network infrastructure produced in the Far East, such as switches and routers, untested into government and corporate networks.”
Late last year MI5 sent a letter to 300 UK companies warning of the threat from Chinese hackers attempting to steal sensitive data. Reports at the time suggested that both Rolls Royce and Royal Dutch Shell had been subjected to “sustained spying assaults”.
The issue has been debated by government for some time. In 2001, the then foreign secretary Robin Cook, warned that international computer espionage could pose a bigger threat to the UK than terrorism.
Bad Moon Rising
Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5
Part 6 - Part 7 - Part 8 - Part 9 - Part 10
Part 11 - Part 12 - Part 13 - Part 14 - Part 15
Part 16 - Part 17 - Part 18 - Part 19 - Part 20
Part 21 - Part 22 - Part 23 - Part 24 - Part 25
Part 26 - Part 27 - Part 28 - Part 29 - Part 30
Part 31 - Part 32 - Part 33 - Part 34 - Part 35
Part 36 - Part 37 - Part 38 - Part 39 - Part 40
Part 41 - Part 42 - Part 43 - Part 44 - Part 45
Part 46 - Part 47 - Part 48 - Part 49 - Part 50
Part 51 - Part 52 - Part 53 - Part 54
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