China Hacked a Navy Contractor and Stole 600GB of Data

a reply to: Arbitrageur

Yes, I've read a lot on the subject both before Snowden and afterwards. The practice of spying on each other's citizens was around at least as far back as the mid-1990s.

It's cynical for them to pay lip service to legislation that's intended to protect us all. No shame either as it's so blatant that even Snowden's revelations led to very little change and extra layers of secrecy. Criminalising whistleblowing (UK and USA) was a masterstroke, but almost fatally short-sighted. If we ever see a leader like Nixon again, society will not be able to protect itself from the unchecked apparatus these naive and paranoid people have created.

Your source references Germany. The NSA eavesdropped on the German parliamentary communications. Despite a minor furore the German Intel service agreed to turn a blind eye for sharing intel and IIRC Merkel was furious. There's simply no political push to change when the lure of endless access presents itself.

I don't know if any of our members here are familiar with Marine aquariums. A few years back I was looking at replacing a water pump. I came across an article for a new design form a company called Maxspect. It was a clever design, and a move away from the powerhead style of the old days, to a paddle wheel type wave generator. Maxspect decided to have the product built in China, a few weeks before the product launch, the Chinese company that was building the product launched a new company called Jacod, who were now amazingly selling a new product, which was a cheaper version of Maxspects new design for a pump. This held up the release of the Maxspect pump as they took out an injunction against this Chinese company, all that happened was the Chinese company had a name change, and a delay in there product being out for sale. The Chinese product is for sale. It's this type of blatant theft of intellectual property that has become the acceptable norm that should be stamped out.

a reply to: Kandinsky

I remember reading an article from someone back in the day (early 90's I think) who was a local of Cheltenham, he was a conspiracy "nut" who had an advert in the UK UFO magazine for a article you could buy, that stated that GCHQ spied for the US and the CIA/NSA spied for the UK to get around laws that forbade said actions.

a reply to: Kurokage

They did. It was back in the days when people were protesting about 'Echelon.' It takes the piss when they're making the laws on one hand and then blatantly circumventing them on the other.

What happens when any of us break the law?

a reply to: Kandinsky

They didn't though, they used a technicality to get around the law. How many times have we seen someone get out of jail, or get a case thrown out by doing the same thing. Hell, we just saw someone get out of a life sentence, and get jeopardy attached by using a technicality.

originally posted by: DerBeobachter
How does it taste, that own medicine?

Oh yeah, I remember that. The NSA got caught spying on das deutsch journalists and even tapping Frau Merkel's phone.

Can't believe you guys would still be bitter about it though... you know it was for your own good... lol.

a reply to: Kurokage

"Treasure trove but unclassified"

This can only be a good thing for the MIC that supplies the US. Obsolete even before commissioning a new weapon. Back to the drawing board and more spending largess by the Government.

a reply to: TheConstruKctionofLight

Even with the plans they aren't "obsolete before building". If the programs were going forward they will still go forward and be built.

Who cares.

Mutually Assured Destruction will never go away. You people and your war games lol.

600GB is a lot but in a real term it could be a lot less as you will steal older versions etc, the real question always is that if the data's that important why is it so easily available?.

Theres plenty of ways to get info that don't take an upfront attack as just think who has the most access to the buildings and deals with all the waste but the cleaners/porters and being almost invisible they can get away with loads.

a reply to: Maxatoria

Contractors have always been the weak point. Thru want to be able to send information back and forth, so insist on connected systems and nets.

a reply to: Kurokage

It's probably 600Gb of porn. LoL

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Kandinsky

They didn't though, they used a technicality to get around the law. How many times have we seen someone get out of jail, or get a case thrown out by doing the same thing. Hell, we just saw someone get out of a life sentence, and get jeopardy attached by using a technicality.

'Get around the law' is exactly the same meaning as 'circumvent.'

a reply to: Kandinsky

Yes, but you said, "what if one of us broke the law". They didn't break the law, they used a technicality that wasn't covered under the law.

originally posted by: Zaphod58
a reply to: Kandinsky

Yes, but you said, "what if one of us broke the law". They didn't break the law, they used a technicality that wasn't covered under the law.

It was a rhetorical question. Us normal folk don't get the choice to circumvent laws.

This is exactly like the old Cold War nonsense. Everyone is spying on everyone and pretending they are not. I doubt they actually believe that most people are not aware, I think it's all about plausible deniability. If it gets exposed, only the people at the bottom of the ladder take the heat, because those above have protected themselves.

I'd frankly be disappointed if I did not think that the US was doing this also. Understanding other nations capabilities and their weapons is critical to doing one of the governments main jobs.

Every time one country calls out another for this, I can only roll my eyes knowing full well, their country is doing it also. Why they even bother is beyond me.

originally posted by: Kurokage
a reply to: kelbtalfenek

What sort of retribution would you like? Should we sink one of their carriers? Maybe plant a bomb in "the forbidden city?"

I wasn't thinking of that kind of retribution!! It was more of an economic style of retribution.

You called it "an act of war."

What can you propose that won't be injurious to the American lifestyle?

It would be interesting to see the bill for all the security work that is paid out by the US government. Like so many things, I bet we don't get the value for the dollars.

Unanswered questions as usual.

How can they determine that it was in fact China ... as opposed to say South Africa running the operation from a Chinese Hotel.

Hell, it could have been any of the US weapon manufacturers using China as a cover for industrial espionage.

But hey, blame the current media's bad guy..

P