Last week, McAfee reported attacks on our energy companies of a sophisticated nature.
They originated in China, however it could not be determined whether they came from a governmental, corporate or criminal entity.
Security researchers at McAfee have sounded an alarm for what is described as “coordinated covert and targeted cyberattacks” against global oil, energy, and petrochemical companies. McAfee said the attacks began November 2009 and combined several techniques — social engineering, spear phishing and vulnerability exploits — to load custom RATs (remote administration tools) on hijacked machines.
As with the e-mail messages used in regular phishing expeditions, spear phishing messages appear to come from a trusted source. Phishing messages usually appear to come from a large and well-known company or Web site with a broad membership base, such as eBay or PayPal.
In the case of spear phishing, however, the apparent source of the e-mail is likely to be an individual within the recipient's own company and generally someone in a position of authority.
According to an article in the New York Times, spear phishing attempts are not typically initiated by "random hackers" but are more likely to be conducted by "sophisticated groups out for financial gain, trade secrets or military information."
This is a very brief summary of the (nineteen page) McAfee White Paper found HERE:
"1. Company extranet web servers compromised through SQL-injection techniques, allowing remote command execution. 2. Commonly available hacker tools are uploaded on compromised web servers, allowing attackers to pivot into the company’s intranet and giving them access to sensitive desktops and servers internally. 3. Using password cracking and pass-the-hash tools, attackers gain additional usernames and passwords, allowing them to obtain further authenticated access to sensitive internal desktops and servers."
Initially using the company’s compromised web servers as command and control (C&C) servers, the attackers discovered that they needed only to disable Microsoft Internet Explorer (IE) proxy settings to allow direct communication from infected machines to the Internet. Using the RAT malware, they proceeded to connect to other machines (targeting executives) and extracting email archives and other sensitive documents.
Source: http://tinyurl.com/2v67fy7
Or, of course, it's possible that China's lack of cooperation is just China being paranoid, and they are in fact furiously hunting the hackers down internally. But It's also possible that Dr. Guy is really a group of seventeen Russian pastry chefs who post by committee.
The Chinese have several advantages over the west when it comes to geo-political contests/stresses/conflicts.
1) They are a tad more homogeneous - meaning racial/ethic issues consume a smaller percentage of their efforts... Right or wrong, the Chinese insist that ALL their people ALL buy into the prevailing cultural mores. They have no illusions, multi-culturalism does not a strong nation state make. If you are going to live in China, don't expect to demand bi-lingual schools, or religious courts just for your group. And don't even think you will force your religious laws on everyone else if you just agitate enough ... The Chinese government has a simple understanding about living in China. If you emigrate there, you become Chinese, you are expected to (and 'encouraged') to embrace core Chinese values. Immigrate there, and you are expected to become Chinese, not remain whatever you were before you arrive.
Many western European nations are being strangled politically / socially because they have significant immigrated populations now living there who have no (little) interest in embracing the core values of western civilization. Sadly, (for purposes of having a strong nation state) many of these immigrant communities actually despise Core Western values. No unity, more energy spent on in-fighting, etc.
2) Sheer volume, 1/5 humans on the planet are Chinese...consider, that in one year China graduates more engineering students than exist in the entire USA. Eventually, this will, by sheer numbers of engineers (or whatever/sales/marketing/etc) earn them a masterful advantage.
3) The west (or usa) operates very short term. Corporations, (the entities through which the ultra rich and powerful upper crust of the USA, operate, and control society) generally make decisions based on short term considerations: what ever move will increase this years stock dividend is what gets done. Humans (employees) are now peasants to be thrown away for very small causes.
4) The USA, in some ways, doesn't seem very concerned about leaving our secret technology in places where it is easily accessed. The Chinese just flew their first stealth plane. Where did the tech come from, since they are (supposedly) several generations behind in aviation tech? From a downed US stealth plane, in the former Yugoslavia area. Chinese 'procurers' merely went and scavenged the parts from that plane. Why didn't the US go pick up the sensitive parts of the wreckage? USA? There is no "I" in US, it wasn't my job... lol.
5) Unlike the West, the Chinese have a long view, and long term plans to implement their societal goals. They can plot a course, and implement it, no matter what. Western democracies, with ever changing government figures tend to view things in the short term... getting re-elected.
Now, please do not misunderstand me. I am a daughter of the West, and I embrace the core values of Western Civilization, liberalism, individualism, etc. I also recognize that the genius of western values that i embrace has both pluses and minuses when it comes to making a strong nation. And right now, those values, when playing out in the geo-political world stage are weakening western nations while a more unified giant, (uber-panda China) is taking center stage.
And they are clever enough to continue to present themselves as a non-threatening, cuddly panda...
But make no mistake, self-interest seems to be a universal human motivation. And they will do what is best for themselves, no matter the cost to others. We do, too.
I've thought about a lot of the same things. I've considered spending some time in China just before/during/after college. It's a fascinating place. I wouldn't live there for any significant portion of my life the way it is now- too many restrictions on free speech and information- but if that was reformed (as I suspect it will be in my lifetime, probably yours too) I'd consider it a viable place to settle down and start a career. The cultural homogeneity is interesting because while people are expected to be "Chinese", a lot of people I know from there say that the big question in society is "What is Chinese?", as some parts of China are very, very Westernized. I for one think that Western civilization has some great ideas, culturally, but so do the great Asian civilizations. By combining the best attributes of both, I think we could create something truly wonderful.
The Han Chinese make up 91.9% of China's population. The Han people dominate all of China culturally and politically.China's 55 recognized minority groups total about 8% of the nation's population. Major ethnic groups in China are:ZhuangUigurHuiYiTibetanMiaoManchuMongolBuyiKorean
I see that we probably are, just that I am accenting the economic, and you the Technology. But it is hard to separate the 2 in this day and age. I guess my degree in econ is trumping my experience in technology.
You know, I looked under my bed and I didn't see a single Chinese godless commie there. This could be because of their personal stealth armor which renders them invisible. Or it could be due to the fact I am unable to see what isn't there.
Personally, from my own experience on this forum, I worry more about shoddy internet advice from "helpers" with an agenda, than I worry about the phantom Chinese menace. But I could be wrong, according to this impeccable evidence:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGv2wqJJmbc
Trump speaks about china. Finally someone does
Agree with you, MyFist0.
The "P"RC is not an ally, and behaves on one level lie a civilized, non aggressive country when in truth it seeks primacy through any means. Interestingly, the Canadian response was immediate cut off of the attacked entities from the internet (the 'off switch').
Sorry, scratchthepitch. China is too large to be under your bed, and isn't wearing invisible armor (not to my eyes).
There is no question that we need either a fool proof defensive system (unfortunately there are more fools than 'proofs'), or a way to trigger immediate isolation of the target and the attacker.
Personally? I wish there were a way to mark the attacker digitally such that he/she/they could never access the net anonymously again, and to find out who is sponsoring them and fully ostracize that government/corporation, etc. and it's leader, and seize it's assets (fruit of illicit activity).
Oh ty .
Thought I might get a bit of a lashing for that post.
Mephistopheles
China's obviously just trying to advance its own interests, often through underhanded means, but then again, so is the US. In fact, pretty much every developed or developing country is. China's just doing it better than most.
Here is a good place to bring up the maxim of international politics. Both the Doc and Scout touched on it, but did not say it outright.
Countries do not have friends. They have commonality of interests. So the goals and allegiances change over time. We were not always friends with England (indeed, before the 20th century they were our worst enemy), nor France always our antagonist. China has a commonality of interest, but many differences. So some can see them (or mis-perceive them) as a "friend", but they are not. When we start looking at countries as "friends" we run the risk of being betrayed. When we understand that they have their own goals that do not totally mesh with ours, we are forewarned.
I'll agree solidly with Dr Guy on this.
Yeah, I would tend to agree too.
Best regards,Steven.
The larger the country is, the more they are incline to betray their "friends". People with power tend to be bullies ...
For many of the IR folks, the theoretical talk is roughly comparing nations to individual people (albeit fundamentally selfish people). I wish the analogy had more real-world impact, at least if the bullying theory talk I read this week is accurate. It seems possible that the top-of-the-pops kids let go of the bullying that helped get them to the top.
I would agree, except for the reification error. There is no singular 'America' to blame for actions or claim for values ("best interests"). We're a messy democratic republic made of 50 smaller democratic republics that are in continuous conflict over how much authority our central government should have.
Alright, maybe I'd agree a little more than that, at least when I put on my Fight the Oligarchy hat and wonder just how much anti-democratic collusion there might really be amongst the top 2% of U.S. wealth-holders...
I've kind of developed a specified "jargon" in that area:
Ladies and gentleman, do you know Chinese? Now is probably a good time to learn. Get a jump on your fellow citizens for the future. It's coming. You don't want to be caught mono-lingual when the crunch comes. Chinese speakers will get the cush jobs and contracts. A good place to start on your path to a better life in the future:
http://www.chinaledu.com/?gclid=CIql5tnhkKcCFRxqgwodRTT9cQ
Meanwhile, those souls who still fret the night away worrying about the Chiacoms under the bed, there is a solution. It's quite painless, too. Attach small pictures of Milton Friedman and Leo Strauss to the skirts on your bed:
No Chiacom would ever be brave enough to cross such a threshold. And to be doubly safe, attach small pictures of Milton Friedman and Leo Strauss to your bed canopy:
It might even be worthwhile to remove the mirror over the bed and replace that with a life size image of Milton Friedman or Leo Strauss
BTW, there is another way to prevent Chiacoms hiding under your bed, if you are one of the few truly brave souls. Get a waterbed. The pedestal takes up so much room under the bed, there is no room for a Chiacom to hide. Even one of the smaller, genetically modified or specially bred Chiacom infiltrators would not have enough room to hide. You would see his or her feet sticking out, a tell tale sign your underbed has been compromised.
And one further piece of advice. Get rid of those Chiapets you still have laying around. These are one of the favorite hiding places of of Chiacoms. And play your country music at all times and very loud. This frightens away Chiacoms more than even the images of Milton Friedman and Leo Strauss does.
Remember the old Boy Scout motto:
Be prepared.
Oi, amigo...
If I'm not mistaken, Doc, isn't a growing part of China religiously Christian? I know I read an article somewhere a while back about the rapidly growing number of Christians in China.
Holy sh!t.... I just gained a TON of respect for the Donald. I hope he DOES run for Pres in 2012. With that kind of attitude going for him he'd have my vote in a heart beat.
Add this....
to this...
I would agree, with a qualifier. The aims of America are not always in the best interests of its people.
or anyone else.
.....and that pretty much sums up how much of the rest of the world views the US.... especially in the Middle East.
I was talking with an Iraqi refugee who said that even though he and his people are grateful to the US for ousting Saddam Hussein, they view America with distrust and contempt. Why? He said that it's because the US sticks its nose in other peoples business, often when it is unwanted and usually with a view to profit somehow.
Sadly, Australia is following in those footsteps and people have become unimportant in the greater scheme of things.
Very true and one day Uncle Sam is gonna get that nose busted. Not from the outside but from within. There are people here who feel the same way the Iraqi refugee does. There are people here who live at or below poverty level and the Republicans want to cut funding for the programs designed to help them. Guess which one they've got their sights on. Education! Go figure.
I believe the Evangelicals are growing in China, and that's not pleasing the power structure, but I was referring to ethnic, not religious groups.
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