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Carlos Barria / Reuters
A Chinese People's Liberation Army soldier stands guard in front of 'Unit 61398,' a secretive Chinese military unit on the outskirts of Shanghai, on Tuesday. The unit is believed to be behind a series of hacking attacks, a U.S. computer security company said, prompting a strong denial by China and accusations that it was in fact the victim of U.S. hacking.
BEIJING -- China's military on Wednesday responded angrily to accusations by an American computer security company of systematic hacking of U.S. business and military interests, arguing it "lacked technical proof and was "not based on fact."
In a statement published on the Chinese Defense Ministry's website in response to the controversial report by Mandiant Corp., the military denied the charges, arguing the data was not enough to connect the hacking to them.
"The report, in only relying on linking IP address to reach a conclusion the hacking attacks originated from China, lacks technical proof," the ministry wrote in its statement, "Everyone knows that the use of usurped IP addresses to carry out hacking attacks happens on an almost daily basis."
The ministry also argued that there was no globally accepted definition of what constitutes hacking.
NBC's Kristen Welker has more on what the White House may be planning to do about foreign agencies hacking into U.S. trade secrets.
"There is still no internationally clear, unified definition of what consists of a 'hacking attack'. There is no legal evidence behind the report subjectively inducing that the everyday gathering of online (information) is online spying."
The Defense Ministry said that China itself is a frequent victim of hacking, a common theme in China's rebuttal of accusations of foul play in cyberspace. The ministry said it had tracked a "considerable number" of attacks against its networks that originated in the United States, but it noted that those intrusions had not been used "as a pretext to accuse the U.S. side [of hacking]."
The statement came a day after Mandiant released an explosive report, first detailed in a New York Times article, that tied a People's Liberation Army unit based in Shanghai to a prolonged and focused campaign of stealing corporate and defense trade secrets.
According to Mandiant, the Chinese hacking unit, believed to be "PLA Unit 61398," employed hundreds, perhaps even thousands, of operatives to raid secure American servers, extracting trade secrets, blueprints, pricing data and other valuable information.
In total, Unit 61398 was said to have pillaged hundreds of terabytes of information from 141 companies -- 115 of which were American -- representing 20 industries in a variety of fields including telecommunications and defense.
The hackers reportedly used techniques such as "spear-phishing" -- using spoof e-mails to trick users into granting access to internal servers -- demonstrating a strong proficiency in English and advanced understanding of computer security and network operations.
China pointed out that its Ministry of Public Security had assisted more than 50 countries and regions in investigating cybercrime cases and that the Beijing had entered into a number of bilateral law enforcement cooperation agreements with those countries to help combat hacking.
The Mandiant report and the media maelstrom around it prompted Chinese state media to lash out at the hacking accusations, though the Chinese-language version of the New York Times story was still blocked in China.
China's typically nationalistic newspaper, Global Times, said Beijing should be more vocal in exposing hacking attacks conducted against China.
"Some officials have been punished for internally reporting that government websites have been hacked and secrets leaked, but almost no details have come out," the paper wrote.
"The Americans really know how to talk this (issue) up. All China can do is concede defeat."
Related:
Report: Chinese army tied to widespread U.S. hacking
Congress urged to probe Chinese computer espionage
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China has been doing this for a very long time. Several years ago the US, several European countries and some in the Pacific rim had this problem with china only China was looking then and still is looking for weaknesses in the Power Utilities, banking and other widely used services that could bring a nation down without a shot fired. Finally it seems that we have found them out. China has basically admitted as much by saying that the the definition of Hacking is not clear. like a defendant who talks too much they have talked too much.
Spying is one thing that all countries practice, but hacking and hacking with malware to disrupt or destroy is another thing entirely. China got caught once again with its pants down and thats that. time for them to get rid of their arrogant ways
Did you know China is taking phenomenal amounts of water from the
Great Lakes and transporting it in huge containers across the sea to China
where they dump it into their aquafiers?
1. It is illegal to pump water from the Great Lakes so the Chinese purchased
land just south of them...and have huge hoses pumping water into their
containers - five huge containers holding mega tons of water are towed
behind their ships!!!!! THIS IS TRuE AND NO ONE is stopping them.
CHINA was behind a wall for many decades then Americans
gave them SOME technology...to quote Hillary Clinton:
"some we gave them ~ the rest they STOLE!!!"
(China, Russia and the U.N have demanded of our government
to unarm all Americans.) They intend to take over America as
they need our land and our resources plus other resources.)
Since Hillary walking the U.N Weapons Ban Treaty into Congress
to unarm us which was an act of TREASON...was voted down
Hillary stated: "I'm taking this Treaty directly to Obama!!!" That
was this past summer...Then at Christmas the Newtown staged event to
unarm American citizens just conveniently occurred!!!
***Lanza was 1.5 hrs away from the school when the shootings began!!!
That was verified...The shootings were done by 'professionals'...3 bullets
per victim to be sure to permanently eliminate witnesses.
Lanza was autistic...totally shy, introverted and did NOT have the mental
capacity to carry out such an event that happened at Newtown.
To attack the Constitution in any way or our Constitutional rights
to bear arms...(no designated types you can have or amount of bullets) is a
direct act of TREASON and Vice President Biden by our laws should
be bringing charges of Treason toward Obama...and Hillary!!!
If they so angrily deny the attack, then retaliate through the same pipe and shut down the assailant's operation.
When they bitch about that, angrily deny the attack back at them.
Sorry, we're the good guys, we can't play dirty
Two word cure for China and their hackers - trade embargo.
Not going to happen. The us companies will scream bloody murder.
Whats the good news? Companies like aapl who have diverted American jobs overseas will now have their products copied by China and sold at much lower prices without any profit whatsoever from the knock offs.
Every thing in the that US companies don't give away in the name of free trade, wind up being free for clandestine plunder by outside sources because US companies keep sticking their head in the sand on security in the name of more profits.
Everybody spies on each other. Really now.
We just gave China all the tools they need to do it. Shame on America. The global stepchild.
In the 50's and 60's Cuba loved our copy machines. When Xerox came by to service them, unknown to Cuba we were changing out microfilms to see what they were up to. Smart ha!
So don't be surprised about spying hacking and all this dishonest stuff folks. It's a way of life.
Remember new technology is suppose to help mankind. In the beginning it usually is well intended.
To me the main question is who do I believe, the Chinese government or the liberal/socialist/communist/democrat government we struggle under every day? Somehow I can't bring myself to believe either of them.
Good example of the main reason why we will never come together and solve this country's problems.
How can anyone trust the brainwashed Chinese and their small weenied man run government? China can't even control N. Korea. Oh and by the way China, if it werent for the good 'ol USA you all would be speaking Japanese.
China has stolen 100's of patents and deny that too!!!
PLEASE read the U.N Agenda 21...it is a 1,ooo page document.
Included are maps of where Americans will be moved to.
The U.N will dictate who receives water and food.
They intend to move all Americans into cities away from water
ways and farmland...They intend to move millions of people
from overpopulated lands into America and END any citizen
from owning private property...
The document is INSANE...totally unAmerican and against
America itself.
We pay the U.N $6 BILLION dollars annually and yet they
create a document with such absurdities. They the U>N> and any
Chinese companies building our bridges, rail roads etc need to be
exiled permanently...immediately!!!
CHINA purchased 40 square miles in a northern tier state for a factory
they are building and when asked if they will be hiring Americans...their answer:
NO the building will be constructed by our Chinese citizens, as well as, the
manufacturing employees!!!!!!! There is no end to their treacheryn or lies!!!
So then China is sayin we didn't do it, our military was hacked and they used our ip
Can you believe it, hacking started in the 70's when some innovative curious kids with lots of free time, a modem, and a TRS80, or a commodore 64 started random automatic dialing just to see what would answer up. lo and behold what pops up? NORAD, Pentagon, IBM, UNIVAC, Control Data, United Airlines and many others. Nothing has changed except now it is a lot easier to do.
The USA was saving this one up till now. The North Koreans are a stubborn foe; they ain't giving in to the 'poison flavor aid' that is the NWO, Globalization and Pop Culture. China isn't having any effect even though it is NK's supplier of food and fuel, so it is time to whip them into doing The West's dirty work. Eventually ALL nations will be laid low and made to effectively surrender to this evil plan, including the USA and China, but first NK and Iran. It is no "conspiracy theory", it isn't even secret.
They're just mad they got caught maybe.
China denies. Yep. That's what the guilty would say.
In all seriousness though, I don't really have a clue to what to think. For all we know some dude in Mexico could be doing all of this.
Read my post.
Just as a point of clarification, Magneto, that's what the innocent would also say.
Now, China obviously is involved in this kind of thing. Unquestionably. But I had to correct your presumptive statement.
America has spying on other nations and interfering in their affairs in the name of national security for decades, but in the minds of the cloak and dagger community, that's acceptable. Now they are blaming China with no proof at all. If this country's security is being run by such spooks, how bad can the other side be?
It's all part of the (dangerous) game they play. The people that do it in the US probably don't actually think it's any more wrong for China to do it.
They "all" have to play. Some better than others. The game also includes PR.
I personally side with the US on this. They have more of my best interests at heart.
If you dish it out NSA / CIA, you also gotta TAKE IT !
Why don't we just drive past that building with a hardened vehicle and set off an EMP , that way we are Plausible deniable
That would probably only result in a hiccup in the whole operation.
People and technology would still exist and within days if not hours would be up and running again.
A lot of fear mongering and cowardly shaking of boots here. Grow some fellows.
China has a history, a strong history of stealing information. Not that other countries do not, but China is certainly way up there.
How can anyone NOT think of the boy that cried wolf when it comes to China. Regardless of China's sordid past, does anyone really think China (and the US for that matter) do not do this? C'mon people.
China has just tested out an exact duplicate of the F22 Raptor, and they will have a Boeing-787 clone (called the Beijing-787) within a year, without the lithium-ion batteries of course.
China angrily denies that it's a communist government, etc.
China angrily denies tiananmen square incident/insurrection ever happened.
funny how American/Americans are too stupid to restrict persons from Asian countries from immigrating and they are buying up city blocks but they pitch a bit** about Hispanic people who just want to work for their family go figure...Stupid gringos...
Don't you worry one little bit China. American business men will still continue to invest in your Communist Govt and Socialist economy, because they LOVE your cheap labor and total lack of regulations. They enjoy slavery, unsafe working conditions, and pollution out the wazoo. ANYTHING to grow the EBITDA
Many of them believe MY President is a no-good Marxist. It's comical when you step back and see the number of sheep willing to back the big mouthed Oligarchist RW. It's funny when you get to hear an actual business owner talk about what a terrible direction MY country is headed in, all the while planning their next purchase from Ding Dong Province China.
They are lying of course.