|
http://www.reuters.com/article/internetNews/idUSTRE58L0LJ20090922
Chinese cyberattacks target media ahead of anniversary
By Lucy Hornby
BEIJING (Reuters) - Foreign media in China have been targeted byemails laden with malicious computer software in attacks that appear tobe tied to the run-up to the National Day military parade on October 1.
While spam and viral attacks are not uncommon, the latest wave ispart of a pattern of increasingly sophisticated emails tailored totempt foreign reporters, rights activists and other targets to openinfected attachments.
On Oct 1, the Communist Party is celebrating 60 years of rule overmainland China with a military parade. Beijing has tightened securityahead of the anniversary, with armed paramilitary troops at subwayexits during rehearsals and neighborhood residents recruited to watchover the streets.
"There is definitely a pattern of virus attacks in the run-up toimportant dates on the Chinese political calendar," said NicholasBequelin of Human Rights Watch in Hong Kong. He noted thatnon-government organizations are also favorite targets.
"Whether the government is behind it, closes its eyes to it,supports it or has nothing to with it is unclear. There are alsopatriotic hackers, so there is no way to know for sure who is behindit."
While poor English used to be a giveaway, new techniques includemimicking a known and trusted sender, or resending legitimate emailsfrom activist organizations with a fake, malware-laden attachment.
The impersonating emails require more effort by the mystery sendersbut they are also more likely to be opened than easily identifiable,anonymous spam.
Chinese employees working for foreign news organizations in Beijingand Shanghai got identical emails on Monday, each with an attachmentcarrying malware meant to exploit Adobe Acrobat software, a commonapplication used to read PDF files.
The email, which appeared to be from an economics editor named PamBouron, was a polite request for help lining up interviews during anupcoming visit to Beijing. It was tailored so that "Pam" appeared towork for each news organization.
The clue was that Reuters does not have an economics editor namedPam Bouron. Others who received the "Pam Bouron" email include theStraits Times, Dow Jones, Agence France Presse, and Italian news agencyAnsa.
Similar emails carrying viruses, also attacking foreign newsagencies and non-government organizations, were common ahead of theBeijing Olympic Games last year. In March this year, researchers atInfowar Monitor in Canada found widespread cyber-infiltration of theTibetan government in exile.
The "Pam Bouron" emails on Monday targeted Chinese news assistants,whose names often do not appear on news reports and who must be hiredthrough an agency that reports to the Foreign Ministry.
They were followed by two suspicious emails on Tuesday morning received by many foreign reporters in Beijing.
(Editing by Jan Dahinten)
|
Ahead, Anniversary, Chinese, cyberattacks, target, Ahead, Anniversary, Chinese, cyberattacks, target, Ahead, Anniversary, Chinese, cyberattacks, target
评分
-
1
查看全部评分
-
|