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Is China Creating the World's Largest Botnet Army?

Posted by timothy on from the economies-of-scale dept.

david_a_eaves writes "The Chinese government is mandating that all computers sold in China come with Internet blocking software. Rob Cottingham writes an excellent piece noting how the censorship application of this software should be the least of our concerns. This new software may create an opportunity for the Chinese Government to appropriate these computers and use them to create the worlds largest botnet army." Update: 06/11 21:26 GMT by T : J. Alex Halderman writes "My students and I have been examining the Green Dam censorware software. We've found serious vulnerabilities that can be exploited by any web site a user visits with the software installed. We also found that some of the blacklists seems to have been taken from the American-made filtering program CyberSitter. We've posted a report and demo."

7 of 195 comments (clear)

  1. oOooo Scary! by vancondo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Well if they are it's certainly more threatening than a bunch of terracotta warriors.
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    - - VanCondo

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  2. Does America already have the World's Largest? by CmdrSammo · · Score: 5, Funny

    Obama: Hey Ballmer, you mind if we borrow 90% of the world's computers for a quick cyber war?

    Ballmer: Finally, the moment I've been waiting for! *Throws ceremonial war chair at wall*

  3. That would be like... by starglider29a · · Score: 5, Funny

    A few million Stormtroopers standing on the surface of the Death Star with ThinkGeek green lasers.

    Archimedes would be proud!


    (Think before you mod me offtopic.)

  4. The "least of our worries" ? by qoncept · · Score: 4, Funny

    Let me get this straight.

    China further on intruding on its citizens who are already exploited and given no voice is a valid concern -- until it causes the rest of the world the slightest discomfort?

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    Whale
    1. Re:The "least of our worries" ? by Stargoat · · Score: 4, Funny

      Let me get this straight.

      China further on intruding on its citizens who are already exploited and given no voice is a valid concern -- until it causes the rest of the world the slightest discomfort?

      And what exactly would you have the rest of the world do about it? Chinese are already subject to an oppressive dictatorial government, as are North Koreans, Vietnamese, Cubans, Laotians, Burmese, Iranians, Zimbabweans, and in general around half the total world population.

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      Hoist Number One and Number Six.
  5. Re:Correct me if I am wrong... by Tinctorius · · Score: 4, Funny

    I knew it! I knew erbif was a word!

  6. Oblig by Voyager529 · · Score: 4, Funny

    *sigh* I thought it was the most well known classic blunder not to start a LAN war in Asia!

    *DUCKS*