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China Denies Role In US Grid Hacks

Posted by timothy on from the stopped-beating-my-wife dept.

Slatterz writes "The Chinese government is denying any involvement in the reported infiltration of US electric grid systems. Xinhua news agency quoted Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu as saying that any sort of involvement from China in the incident 'doesn't exist at all.' The denial follows a report in the Wall Street Journal which claimed that agents from China and Russia along with several other countries had infiltrated the computer systems charged with managing electricity in the US and left behind software payloads which could be used to control or disable electric grids in the US." Bruce Schneier is skeptical about the whole story.

5 of 91 comments (clear)

  1. Two schools of thought here: by slimjim8094 · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Either they did it and aren't telling (would we?) or these are simple hackers like in Russia, the Ukraine, or even here. Or they're part of the mob.

    This assumption that it must have been committed by the government is unfounded; though I would not be surprised at all. Wouldn't we if we got the shot?

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    1. Re:Two schools of thought here: by toQDuj · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Perhaps it's just a case of the US energy grid getting old and crappy, and someone else needing a scapegoat for the trouble to come.

      B.

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      Every experiment which ends in a big bang is a good experiment.
  2. i know ill get bitched at for this by nimbius · · Score: 4, Insightful

    but could it be possible that for once, we're not under constant attack from enemy nations and have nothing to really fear?
    the last time we cringed in terror at another country as a pretext for invasion, it turned out they were guilty of a lot less than we
    originally conjectured.

    if china were hacking into our powerplants and infrastructure, what purpose would it seriously serve? china manufactures a bulk of american goods, and holds a bulk of american debt.
    we are an economic interest, so one could argue harm to us is harm to china.

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    Good people go to bed earlier.
    1. Re:i know ill get bitched at for this by emocomputerjock · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Are you honestly asking what purpose does technological dominance serve? Do you think any nation would turn down the ability to flip the switch on another country, regardless of the status of relations between the two?

  3. the solution is .. by viralMeme · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The solution is to take computer systems charged with managing electricity off the Internet