China Herald: Stuxnet

Wednesday, June 19, 2013

The upcoming cyber wars - China Weekly Hangout

US Navy 070712-N-9758L-048 Information Systems Technician 2nd Class Athena Stovall, assigned to Commander U.S. 3rd Fleet in San Diego, scans the network on her computer for intrusions during a cyber war training course at the S (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The US, China and other countries have been building up capacity over the past decade to fight a full-blown cyber war. The recent disclosures of US whistle-blower Edward Snowden has been a major development in that playing field of cyber relations between the American and Chinese state and private companies. Apart from the Stuxnet attacks on Iran, exchanging cyber fire has been pretty limited up to now, as far as we know. Are those days over?
The China Weekly Hangout will try to scratch on Thursday 27 June a bit under the surface of this cyber war.
The event takes place on 10pm Beijing Times, 4pm CEST (Europe) and 10am EST (US/Canada).

Former security consultant +Mathew Hoover from Hong Kong has already agreed to join, and we are waiting for confirmation from a few other possible participants. Do you want to join, drop us an email or register right away at our event page.
You can watch the event here or at our event page. During the event you can send questions and remarks via Twitter, Google+ and our YouTube channel. (add hashtag +CWHCWH)

Update: +Paul Fox. media and communication lecturer at the HKU has also confirmed his attendance. Paul is a US citizen living in Hong Kong.

Who is hacking who, the China Weekly Hangout asked itself on February 28, with former security consultant +Mathew Hoover and reporter +Charlie Custer of +TechinAsia, discussing the hacking issues, the Sino-US relations, including some useful information on what to worry about and what not. Moderation: +Fons Tuinstra of the China Speakers Bureau.

will join us on Thursday 20 June at the China Weekly Hangout to discuss what Chinese tourists want (apart from quick visa and Chinese brochures). Getting Chinese tourists to your country, and letting them spend is an art in itself. Here is our announcement, or you can register directly at our event page.

Friday, February 22, 2013

Hacking: who holds the smoking gun? - China Weekly Hangout

English: Members of a Chinese military honor g...

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This week the US firm Mandiant launched a report about China's hacking activities by APT1 or P.L.A. Unit 61398 in Shanghai. Both the Chinese ministries of Defense and Foreign Affairs came fast with a denial, but it did not stop short the excitement that Mandiant did find a smoking gun in at the PLA office in Shanghai.
But did Mandiant really find a smoking gun? Even the US company did not claim that. And if the military unit might have been holding the gun, who might know about it? Was the PLA a rough element, a way to make money, or really a defense tool? And why would the US point at China, the country that has not developed the damaging virus Stuxnet and has not legalized snooping into other country's internet activities through it Patriot Act.
Basis for a nice discussion, we thought at the +China Weekly Hangout and we are preparing a session on Thursday 28 February, as a bit of the dust might have settled down. Confirmed guest will be +Charlie Custer of Tech in Asia. Our first take you can find here and Charlie Custer's first observations here. We are expecting a few more guests. Moderation will be in the hands of +Fons Tuinstra of the China Speakers Bureau.
As usual, the event will be held from 10pm Beijing time, 3pm CET (Europe) and 9am EST (US/Canada). Do you want to participate too? You will find the link to register here. Or you can leave a comment here.
During the event you can leave questions, comments and requests to participate on Twitter and Google+, if you include the hashtag #CWHCWH at your message.

Update: A great quote from an otherwise good article in the VOA:
"“China is the best cover there is in the world for acts of cyber espionage,” said Carr. “Every foreign intelligence service should set up a front business in Shanghai or Beijing for that very reason.”

And AP wonders if Mandiant is a digital Blackwater.

Last week at the +China Weekly Hangout +Paul Fox and +Fons Tuinstra discussed the program for the coming month in the year of the snake, including a session on Hong Kong media scene, China's answer to North-Korea and its international position, again the accessibility of the internet and social issues in China.