China military unit 'behind prolific hacking'

China military unit 'behind prolific hacking'

www.bbc.co.uk

A secretive branch of China's military is most likely one of the world's "most prolific cyber espionage groups", a US cyber security firm has said.

Mandiant said Unit 61398 was believed to have "systematically stolen hundreds of terabytes of data" from at least 141 organisations around the world.

It traced the attacks to the doorstep of a non-descript building in Shanghai used by the unit.

China denied hacking and questioned the validity of Mandiant's report.

"Hacking attacks are transnational and anonymous," said foreign ministry spokesman Hong Lei.

(visit the link for the full news article)


Related News Links:
www.operationpaperclip.info
rt.com
www.worldsecuritynetw ork.com

People seem to forget that the internet was never designed to be completely secure anyway. While I don't condone the theft of intellectual property especially in terms of covert government secrets and what have you all of the nations pointing the finger at China have engaged in such activities themselves.

The medium may have changed to acquiring pieces of paper or persons of interest (Operation Paperclip anyone?) to the use of the internet, but this is either another China bash trying to antagonize them even further than they have been already..

OR, it is true and China has the upper hand and everyone else is simply sulking, especially the US. It seems Stuxnet and Flame were OK though because that was for Iran. Hypocrites, I really don't like you.

ADD: It could also be a measure to further police the internet in the Western world and maybe put up full censorship and controls just as the Chinese have on their own citizens. I hope the net can always remain as free as possible and hope the Chinese people will one day use it to its full potential and circumvent the "Great Wall" of censorship.

If its true, even more power to the Chinese and their asymmetric tactics. Very smart. Power projection is a thing of the past.

Thoughts?

www.bbc.co.uk
(visit the link for the full news article)

reply to post by yoursteppingonmytoes


It's a means to an end. I am 100% positive that, from the Chinese perspective, Cybercommand is the #1 cyber threat to their cybersecurity.

I wrote a thread a little over a week ago, when a classified report was leaked saying what is stated in your op - but in a vague way, not blaming the Chinese military directly. At that time I was struggling to make sense of it all.

Now I think I get the underlying gist.

Put this together with the new Cybersecurity Executive Order and it seems to me the logical conclusion is that the current butts on thrones in Washington need a boogeyman to justify their tightening of the digital leash. I find it somewhat humorous that, apparently, mp3s and streaming videos are matters of national security - but that's a rant for a different day.

Sadly this all fits the template for tyranny. Need a reason to take away freedom? First you have to create a threat to justify it, sell that threat to the masses, and then wait for them to beg you to protect them from said threat.

~Heff

reply to post by Hefficide


Hey Heff,

Sadly this all fits the template for tyranny. Need a reason to take away freedom? First you have to create a threat to justify it, sell that threat to the masses, and then wait for them to beg you to protect them from said threat.

What you said there I wholeheartedly believe, and I love this supposed "Caesar" quote. Whether or not he said it I believe it rings true. It's disturbing yet hits home..

Beware the leader who bangs the drums of war in order to whip the citizenry into a patriotic fervor, for patriotism is indeed a double-edged sword. It both emboldens the blood, just as it narrows the mind. And when the drums of war have reached a fever pitch and the blood boils with hate and the mind has closed, the leader will have no need in seizing the rights of the citizenry. Rather, the citizenry, infused with fear and blinded by patriotism, will offer up all of their rights unto the leader and gladly so. How do I know? For this is what I have done. And I am Caesar.

I think it will serve two purposes, I think it will give justification to heavier policing of the internet which is already one of the aims of Western countries. But also gives China the upper hand in case a war does break out, having a hold of so many secrets of US military strength and capabilities and using asymmetric warfare to combat it, could in theory decimate US and allied forces.

A messy, global situation but I think China learned long ago as the Russians did that the US will never be matched, bullet for bullet or missile for missile etc but a combination of different tactics focused on an ultimate objective or target could allow them to achieve the "objective" or destroy the "target".

Cyberwarfare and command has been spotted by the Chinese very early on and is being exploited to the fullest.

Good thread you wrote by the way I'm onto it now but I can see its good

reply to post by yoursteppingonmytoes


if this means anything, Ecuador is making some major deals with china, And russia gave them 2 helicopters and are promising to abolish visa between the 2 countries. They are also working on infrustructure airports, china is in this effort too. And guess what. Isint the guy from wiki leaks hiding there? He could be pooling info to china and russia. Yet no ones talking about Ecuador.... Interesting thanks for the post! www.abovetopsecret.com...

www.laht.com... Ecuador, Russia Proclaim New Stage in Relations Ecuador, Russia Proclaim New Stage in Relations MOSCOW – Visiting Ecuadorian President Rafael Correa and Russian counterpart Dmitri Medvedev said on Thursday that their two countries have embarked on a new phase in bilateral relations. “It is the first visit of an Ecuadorian president to Russia,” Correa said at the Kremlin after the two heads of state signed what he described as “historic, tremendously important” agreements. And he urged closer links between Latin America and Russia, saying: “We have been very distant from each other and it’s time to recover the time lost.” In his comments, Medvedev hailed Ecuador as one of Russia’s “most important partners in Latin America” and said he was certain Correa’s visit “will provide a new impetus” to links between Moscow and Quito. Noting that bilateral trade reached $1 billion last year, he said he discussed with Correa to need to “optimize” commercial exchange. Medvedev did not hide his eagerness to sell Russian armaments to Ecuador and said he hoped the contract signed Thursday for the sale of two Mi-171E helicopters to the Ecuadorian army would be “just the start” of “technical-military cooperation” between the two nations. The Russian leader also hailed an impending agreement to eliminate visa requirements for citizens of each country who wish to travel to the other. Medvedev said his government and Correa’s see eye-to-eye on international issues and he expressed gratitude to Moscow’s “Ecuadorian partners for their understanding regarding some (Russian) concerns.” Though the Russian didn’t elaborate, media reports this week suggest that Ecuador is preparing to join Venezuela and Nicaragua in recognizing Abkhazia and South Ossetia, the two regions that declared independence from Georgia after Tbilisi’s August 2008 armed conflict with Moscow. The declaration accompanying the accords signed Thursday stresses that the strategic partnership between Russia and Ecuador is not aimed at any state or groups of states, and that it does not herald creation of a military alliance. Even so, the two countries say they plan to bolster cooperation “in the ambit of security and defense, in particular through active consultations among the relevant institutions.” On the economic front, Quito and Moscow urge the creation of binational joint ventures and pledge to forge closer connections between their respective banking systems. Another pact concerns nuclear power, while a memorandum of understanding covers energy cooperation between the two oil-producing nations. The Russian consortium Rostekhnologii and Ecuador’s Telecommunications Ministry also signed a preliminary agreement on the development of fourth-generation WiMAX mobile phone technology in the South American country. EFE

China is doing some stuff over there too. If the guy from wiki leaks is with Ecuador well the hacker thing. Could make sense a bit right?

reply to post by CrypticSouthpaw


Hey CrypticSouthpaw,

That's interesting indeed with Assange being in Ecuador maybe the terms of his security depends on divulging a few cyber secrets to Chinese the Russians or the entire Shanghai Cooperation Organization.

Everything is interconnected indeed, I'd imagine the relationship between Russia, China, Ecuador would be quite a close one. Rafael Correa (the guy who granted Assange asylum) is about to win re election which indicates the relationship between these "Axis" powers will almost certainly strengthen. Sharing the dirt on what they have on the US would be of great importance to them.

A good point you make sir! And no worries for the thread, I'm glad it stokes your interest

Lol. If your have sensitive information, do not leave it on a computer connected to the internet. This is especially so if it is vital to national security.

They leave their crap lying around for the Chinese to find, then they want to take freedoms from their own people to stop it.

i thought it related completely so i had to make that connection, im glad you enjoyed it! such is the greatness of ATS

I could see him gathering info on how to crack the system. Then giving the codes to china to a memory data base where they can hold the info. Wikileaks is resourceful and has some powerful hackers working for * good causes* but that is all speculation.

reply to post by CrypticSouthpaw




Absolutely, Assange is actually a very gifted individual and is quite well versed in hacking and internet protocol.
He would be a goldmine of information and I'm very surprised that he's still alive.

It's a shame not as much attention goes to Bradley Manning the soldier who gave Wiki leaks their infamy and is paying the full price for it in military detention. Sadly, I think his life is over.

Things are going to get interesting in the next decade!

i don't know about anyone else, but i have lost connection several times over my broadband comcast ISP. i've had a tech come out and replce the modem, i replaced the router, the tech replaced all of the connection end points. i'm still showing on the "connection map" a sporadic disconnect between the router and the internet..these disconnects go on several times a day for periods ranging from a couple of minutes to a half an hour. it could be bandwidth, or hacks, i don't know, nor has tech support had an answer. plus, i'm paying 55 bucks a month for it, so, to me, it's not cheap.

reply to post by yoursteppingonmytoes


yeah he has some important work to do. I truly believe that Russia has good intentions. They have owned teslas death ray for quite some time. I actually think the asteroid was shot down by their death ray defense system i don't think a missile was involved. Again russia won't admit they have it. But Tesla did distribute it amongst the super powers in pieces. They say Russia was the first and still is the only one to crack and reconstruct it. So they havin't started blasting holes in the US i assume they are good. Every other country is afraid of them and with good reason. But i could be wrong. And they could have narrowed views of everyone. But i seriously doubt that as Russians are very smart people.

Im thinking that he is siding with Russia for this reason and is using Ecuador as the binding country. That is why when the reporter is asking him is Ecuador is important he says Ecuador is insignificant. Reporter is like wut? how? its its important but its just in the greater scheme of things. What things?

Can we please put some sanctions on China? At the very least, stop letting these psychotic defense contractors get their stuff made in China?

If you're Western, China is not your friend. Period. It's the U.S. of the East.

When the American government is going to learn this and do what's right for the country instead of what lets their campaign financers and buddies make a quick buck, I haven't the foggiest.

reply to post by AnIntellectualRedneck


a smarter choice would be to ditch your leaders so these super powers don't nuke you guys. Im up here and i don't think im that safe either. Probably be swept away in the aftermath of Seattle

If russia has a death ray tho, they could be all like PEW PEW die nukes die. us be like : O turn on haarp turn on haarp hurry! russia will roll up in a giant mother ship. Us sends out little ufos! its not very effective...
independence day. Also wanted to add. that russia has a butt load of ore. If anyone could make a mother ship it would be them. sorry for my far feteched post. Its 5 am where i am.

reply to post by CrypticSouthpaw


I have no qualms with Russia or China. And someone said below we're not "friends" of China... That mentality has to change, its what led us to this point in the first place. That or just plain stupidity and being obnoxious.

I wonder how much of a role Assange is playing? He's already considered the enemy to the US, and my own country Australia did nothing to help him which is pretty messed up. He may as well defect to the other countries or gain a citizenship, he's been hung out to dry already.

He knew what would happen though and perhaps this has all been planned in advanced more than we know eh?



Oh, I'm U2U'ing you so I don't derail this

This should come as no surprise. I mean, what did the US Gov expect when it purchases billions of dollars worth of computer parts & chips from CHINA anyway

THIS from OP ------>

ADD: It could also be a measure to further police the internet in the Western world and maybe put up full censorship and controls just as the Chinese have on their own citizens

reply to post by Signals


consequences will be dire, indeed this news impacts us all.

I'm quite sure all nations engage in this practice...the report is simply to call China out on it, and possibly, provide one more block in a puzzle to eventually establish more rules and regulations on the internet.

Luckily, most of the methods for dealing with classified info are still location based and separate from any outside access. For example, when my father worked on the Raptor project, he couldn't take any materials home with him (very severe security checks, not even notes would be allowed, etc.), or work from home on anything related to the project. ALL the info was at the location, and secure in that way. Also, each person only has their piece, so if compromised, nobody would have enough info to be dangerous. SCI, Secret, Compartmentalized, Information.....

Those Chinese must be using computers without those motherboard kill switches in the BIOS's.

There's technological split right now in computer hardware. China's making computer hardware without kill switches in the BIOS's....Americans all have computers with kill switches in the motherboards.

If the Chinese figure out how to hack those BIOS's and flip the switch to the BIOS's to disable the motherboards....

Game Over.

No Reset Button.

reply to post by Pervius


interesting, you learn something everyday. But i think this is a joint effort to extract the cold secrets from the US archives and expose them to the world. AKA twin towers? dun dun dun who knows man. With all that info they could call out the US and be like HA HA you did this. With the US having no dirt other then, Yeah well you commy bastards! being all communist and such.

No shock here at all, I've been writing threads about this kind of stuff for a few years now and nobody pays attention, even with this kind of story circulating nobody believes that our national infrastructure is at risk. I wonder if its going to take an actual blackout of the US by outside forces for people to smell whats been cooking for an awful long time now.