A private U.S. cybersecurity company on Monday accused a unit of China's military of conducting far-reaching hacking operations to advance the country's satellite and aerospace programs. Security company CrowdStrike said Shanghai-based unit 61486 of the People's Liberation Army 12th bureau has attacked networks of Western government agencies and defense contractors since 2007. CrowdStrike said the hacking targeted the U.S. space, aerospace and communications sectors. The cyberspying targeted "popular productivity applications such as Adobe Reader and Microsoft Office to deploy custom malware through targeted email attacks," CrowdStrike said.
Although 'US Intelligence' has been briefed by the company, they have 'contracts and other ties' with the US Government and they include some details of one individual, there is nothing that gives this claim any particular credibility other than the fact that Reuters considers it newsworthy.
(Score: 5, Insightful) by Darth Turbogeek on Tuesday June 10 2014, @11:46PM
LOOK OVER THERE!!! BAD GUYS!!!! SEE?????
*sigh*
I have no doubt the Chinese are hacking, but the NSA scandal is still truly a huge step above and beyond. How on earth can the USA even think to claim to be a victim when the NSA has root on just about everything? And also, it's hard to not be cynical - we have scary boogeyman story, the NSA/CIA/ETC claim justification for their actions by SEE??? THEY DO IT TOO!!! no proof is produced.... what's the truth here? I dont know and I dont know the solution to this fucking mess.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by IndigoFreak on Wednesday June 11 2014, @12:48AM
What if the 'chinese' hackers turn out to be NSA in disguise? Now there's a plot twist.
Although there is a difference between being hacked by your own government, that you are working for, and being hacked by a foreign government. So the bad guys over there is a fair warning.
(Score: 5, Interesting) by c0lo on Wednesday June 11 2014, @01:48AM
Yes, there is one:
If your government hacks you, you are on their "Person of Interest" list, so your well-being may not be as guaranteed as you would think.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 2, Informative) by IndigoFreak on Wednesday June 11 2014, @02:09AM
You are talking about personal info. This is hacking of weapons projects and space projects(arguably one in the same). So try to stay on topic here please.
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday June 11 2014, @02:43AM
Speaking of topic... pardon me, but would you be so kind to enlighten me what interest would have your own government to hack you for weapons/space stuff?
After all, even inside a mil-ind complex, the government is the entity that controls the ability to produce such stuff and the main buyer for it; you reckon the govt will start industrial espionage against its own security cleared and approved (thus already under their control) suppliers? If so, what for? Compete with them?
Isn't it much likely that, as a manufacturer under the control of your government, the govt would just "gently twist the manufacturer's arm" to provide the information they are seeking "for security reasons"?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1) by arslan on Wednesday June 11 2014, @07:28AM
Eh, what about the govie hacking private industries competing in space and weapons project just to tilt it in favor of their crony's private company?
Afterall, those that hand the keys over and go in bed with them should be getting the upper hand over those that dont..
(Score: 2) by c0lo on Wednesday June 11 2014, @07:47AM
If the companies hacked are registered in the country of the said govie, don't you think there are cheaper ways to make them hand over the info? (national security letters or equivalent, those kind of "gentle arm twisting")
If those companies are registered overseas, that's no longer a gov hacking their own, it's what China allegedly doing.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aoFiw2jMy-0
(Score: 1) by arslan on Wednesday June 11 2014, @10:59PM
If they did it that way and if the company's competitors all of a sudden comes out with a design that one-ups theirs, i.e. takes all the best of their design and adds to it, it becomes blatantly obvious they've corrupted the tender and opens up a whole lot of political shit fight. Whereas covertly hacking them and leaking that info to their cronies, there's no open trail to point a finger at - it could just mean their competitor pulled off a really good industrial espionage and not the govie tipping the bucket.
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 11 2014, @10:57AM
This is hacking of weapons projects and space projects
Then the Chinese are just DOING THEIR JOB! What's good for goose and all that, so no complains, right?
(Score: 1, Funny) by Anonymous Coward on Wednesday June 11 2014, @02:40AM
Smells like pots calling kettles black.
(Score: 3, Interesting) by Ryuugami on Wednesday June 11 2014, @09:46AM
Smells like black holes calling kettles black.
FTFY
Hm. I was going only for the 'color', but now that I think about it, a black hole is pretty much what they aspire to be. Vacuum up all of the data, don't give anything back. Which also makes Snowden a kind of a white hole.
If a shit storm's on the horizon, it's good to know far enough ahead you can at least bring along an umbrella. - D.Weber
(Score: 3, Interesting) by aristarchus on Wednesday June 11 2014, @08:48AM
I was going to say that it is about time for the Chinese to return the favor, so Americans do not have to rely on whistleblowers holed up in the former Soviet Union! And I would be nice if they named names, or at least IP addresses, and what particular copyrighted works that are alleged to have been copied.
Never trust a spy, even a counter-spy spy, or the counter-counter-spy-spy. Cause, you know.