Spies for Hire: China's New Breed of Hackers Blends Espionage and Entrepreneurship (nytimes.com) 18
The state security ministry is recruiting from a vast pool of private-sector hackers who often have their own agendas and sometimes use their access for commercial cybercrime, experts say. From a report: China's buzzy high-tech companies don't usually recruit Cambodian speakers, so the job ads for three well-paid positions with those language skills stood out. The ad, seeking writers of research reports, was placed by an internet security start-up in China's tropical island-province of Hainan. That start-up was more than it seemed, according to American law enforcement. Hainan Xiandun Technology was part of a web of front companies controlled by China's secretive state security ministry, according to a federal indictment from May. They hacked computers from the United States to Cambodia to Saudi Arabia, seeking sensitive government data as well as less-obvious spy stuff, like details of a New Jersey company's fire-suppression system, according to prosecutors. The accusations appear to reflect an increasingly aggressive campaign by Chinese government hackers and a pronounced shift in their tactics: China's premier spy agency is increasingly reaching beyond its own ranks to recruit from a vast pool of private-sector talent.
This new group of hackers has made China's state cyberspying machine stronger, more sophisticated and -- for its growing array of government and private-sector targets -- more dangerously unpredictable. Sponsored but not necessarily micromanaged by Beijing, this new breed of hacker attacks government targets and private companies alike, mixing traditional espionage with outright fraud and other crimes for profit. China's new approach borrows from the tactics of Russia and Iran, which have tormented public and commercial targets for years. Chinese hackers with links to state security demanded ransom in return for not releasing a company's computer source code, according to an indictment released by the U.S. Department of Justice last year. Another group of hackers in southwest China mixed cyber raids on Hong Kong democracy activists with fraud on gaming websites, another indictment asserted. One member of the group boasted about having official protection, provided that they avoid targets in China.
This new group of hackers has made China's state cyberspying machine stronger, more sophisticated and -- for its growing array of government and private-sector targets -- more dangerously unpredictable. Sponsored but not necessarily micromanaged by Beijing, this new breed of hacker attacks government targets and private companies alike, mixing traditional espionage with outright fraud and other crimes for profit. China's new approach borrows from the tactics of Russia and Iran, which have tormented public and commercial targets for years. Chinese hackers with links to state security demanded ransom in return for not releasing a company's computer source code, according to an indictment released by the U.S. Department of Justice last year. Another group of hackers in southwest China mixed cyber raids on Hong Kong democracy activists with fraud on gaming websites, another indictment asserted. One member of the group boasted about having official protection, provided that they avoid targets in China.
Same old... (Score:4, Insightful)
Sponsored but not necessarily micromanaged by Beijing, this new breed of hacker
New breed? Russia has been doing that for years. Low-cost, low involvement and "plausible" deniability, with a possibly high payout when the time comes. What's not to like?
Re: (Score:1)
For that matter , the CIA has been doing likewise for decades. Owning both legit and illicit businesses via front companies and etc around the globe to further their goals.
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For that matter , the CIA has been doing likewise for decades. Owning both legit and illicit businesses via front companies and etc around the globe to further their goals.
Espionage is the oldest profession in the world, and no doubt created the second oldest to further its goals.
What's the NSA doing ? (Score:2)
Re: Nothing that the US isn't doing themselves. (Score:2)
I'm sure they are hacking Chinese military targets, I doubt say NSA hackers are allowed to moonlight to make money on the side with economic espionage and ransomware capaigns targeting Chinese companies. Though maybe that should change.
Tit for tat.
we need to get manufacturing out of red chain! (Score:2)
we need to get manufacturing out of red chain!
apple and other needs to move that back to the usa if you don't want hacks to be build in at the factory with an government that will look the other way / will not be on the USA corps side
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The trouble with this idea, is, as always, cost.
The US has OSHA, EPA and minimum wage laws.
China doesn't.
Can we move the infrastructure back to the US?
You bet...but at what cost?
Either Apple (and everyone else who moves back) takes a step back in profits, or they pass the increased cost along to the people, who are used to low prices decade after decade.
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Yes, and even with those considerations, companies are finding it advantageous to move manufacturing back ashore. Sometimes the resulting loss of IP theft alone is worth it.
and that no EPA got china alot of smog! (Score:2)
and that no EPA got china alot of smog!
Drone their ass (Score:1)
e-terrorists are still terrorists.
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Are you nuts? We only bomb countries that can't fight back.
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Who would you bomb, exactly?