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FBI Warns Industry of Chinese Cyber Campaign

daten writes The FBI on Wednesday issued a private warning to industry that a group of highly skilled Chinese government hackers was in the midst of a long-running campaign to steal valuable data from U.S. companies and government agencies. "These state-sponsored hackers are exceedingly stealthy and agile by comparison with the People's Liberation Army Unit 61398 ... whose activity was publicly disclosed and attributed by security researchers in February 2013," said the FBI in its alert, which referred to a Chinese military hacker unit exposed in a widely publicized report by the security firm Mandiant.

106 comments

  1. It's time to start a trade war. by Isca · · Score: 2, Insightful

    Because at this point, they've already gone to war with us. It would be devastating for the US economy in the short term but long term I'm not so sure.

    Free trade doesn't work if both sides are not playing the same game.

    1. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by sdguero · · Score: 3, Insightful

      Trade Wars lead to real wars.

    2. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by fustakrakich · · Score: 1

      It would be devastating for the US economy in the short term...

      Not if they build it up first, before going to war. But, you know how fanciful that dream is. Everything is done by reaction, and usually a bad one.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    3. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by TheP4st · · Score: 1, Insightful

      Free trade doesn't work if both sides are not playing the same game.

      Right, the US would never consider spying on Chinese companies and government branches. /sarcasm
      I like to believe that you are just trolling, but based on the inane world view frequently voiced by 'muricans online it is very hard to tell.

      --
      "I have downloaded hundreds and hundreds of records, why would I care if somebody downloads ours?" Robin Pecknold
    4. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Insightful

      We're not playing the same game?
      Just how deep in the sand do you have your head buried?

      http://www.dailymail.co.uk/new...

      What China is doing is a drop in the bucket compared to what the USA is doing.

    5. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      What on earth makes you think both sides are not playing the same game?

    6. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a difference. We are stealing information about companies and people.

      They are stealing information about technology for the purpose of manufacturing that technology for themselves.

      China has for years stolen just about everything they need to modernize. If they hadn't stolen trade secrets they would be even further behind than they are.

    7. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by TheP4st · · Score: 1, Informative

      I should have added this little reality check:
      NSA Has Undercover Operatives in Foreign Companies
      The latest Intercept article on the Snowden documents talks about the NSA's undercover operatives working in foreign companies. There are no specifics, although the countries China, Germany, and South Korea are mentioned.

      --
      "I have downloaded hundreds and hundreds of records, why would I care if somebody downloads ours?" Robin Pecknold
    8. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Which is exactly what the US did, when it was a new nation and needed to catch up.

    9. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Charliemopps · · Score: 4, Informative

      lol, you modded me down and then replied anon? You truly are a coward aren't you?

      http://www.reuters.com/article...
      Even cowards can use Google.
      We are steeling trade secrets and giving them to corporations friendly to the US government. We're doing exactly the same thing China is doing, just on a much much larger scale.

    10. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by jhol13 · · Score: 2

      Yea, CIA admitted, before 911, that their main task was commercial espionage. So now they are threatened that Chinese might be faster?
      (yes, there are documented cases, e.g. german windmill technology in production being patented in USA)

    11. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I was about to say this.

      If you begin a trade ban, it will lead to real physical wars.
      Trade from the past few decades is one of the few remaining things keeping this world relatively war-free since the last major wars.
      It was a brilliant thing, we are trading more than ever these days.

      Don't let a few rogue groups become the target for an all out war against a government and country.
      That is like people attacking the USA because of NSA and their dodgy spying and abuses. While the usefulness of this spying is under debate, it is pretty moot since it was gathered pretty heavily on the illegal side, one step away from straight up killing people. (as far as we know!)

      Fight fire with fire. Hack them back. In full force. At least then there are no physical casualties.

    12. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      This is a real war. Our problem is neither the FBI nor the Department of Defense nor the NSA seem to have the task of defending the US from these attacks.

    13. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      With all the data they collect it wouldn't surprise me if they're bribing & blackmailing thousands of 'operatives' all around the world.

    14. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by knightghost · · Score: 5, Insightful

      These aren't rogue groups. They operate with the full support of the Chinese government.

      I agree with hacking back but the only value you'd gain is if you handed the data over to corporations, and that's a big bad can of worms to open.

      No casualties? The median lifetime earnings of a USA worker is $1.5m. For ever $1.5m in economic damage, you've effectively killed one person.

    15. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Yes, those wooden windmills are high tech.

    16. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by bill_mcgonigle · · Score: 2, Insightful

      no it's not a real war. Copying a Word document is completely unequal to dropping a bomb on a village or shooting somebody in the head.

      Shame on you for equating the two - stop being a sociopath.

      --
      My God, it's Full of Source!
      OUTSIDE_IP=$(dig +short my.ip @outsideip.net)
    17. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by RabidReindeer · · Score: 1

      no it's not a real war. Copying a Word document is completely unequal to dropping a bomb on a village or shooting somebody in the head.

      Shame on you for equating the two - stop being a sociopath.

      True. The pen is mightier than the sword.

    18. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by ScrewMaster · · Score: 2

      voiced by 'muricans online it is very hard to tell.

      Just a quick note: insulting people with differing opinions (no matter how right you may think you are) doesn't actually help you make your case, although it may increase your innate sense of superiority. In addition, those "'muricans" who might otherwise agree with you may just write you off as another bigoted foreign asshole who lumps everyone in a given country together.

      --
      The higher the technology, the sharper that two-edged sword.
    19. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by TheP4st · · Score: 1

      My intention were not to lump everyone in the US together which is why I used the term 'muricans which in the context refer to a specific category, namely the ones that blindly believe everything uttered by the likes of Glenn Beck or whatever the flavour of right wing pundit is nowadays in other words the same ones that think it is perfectly fine when NSA use undercover agents in foreign corporations but cry foul when other nations have the audacity to do the same.
      And at no point did I attempt to change the opinion of the OP as I quite frankly believe that anyone that someone who voice a belief that extreme is beyond reason, or a troll. In either case reason and logic is failed cause, thus I vented my frustration rather than attempted to fuel some innate sense of superiority as you suggest.

      --
      "I have downloaded hundreds and hundreds of records, why would I care if somebody downloads ours?" Robin Pecknold
    20. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You only are paid back the debt they have since you "opened trade" by the barrels of frigate cannons.

    21. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by knightghost · · Score: 1

      Ancient history and therefore irrelevant. Execute today and plan for tomorrow.

    22. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by sdguero · · Score: 1

      My gradnfather fought in a real war. From what he told me, it was nothing like this.

    23. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Your articles don't mention anything about giving information to corporations friendly to the US government

    24. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      It's already well known in intelligence circles that People's Liberation Army Unit 61398 is the front to throw us off track. I don't know why they are admitting this publicly now though.

    25. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by mars-nl · · Score: 1

      These aren't rogue groups. They operate with the full support of the Chinese government.

      Source?

    26. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Culture20 · · Score: 1

      My gradnfather fought in a real war. From what he told me, it was nothing like this.

      Some great uncles of mine were on the beach at Normandy. One of them got a blueprint copied directly from his entire left leg. He survived, but only because a quick thinking medic was able to replace it with a pin-up from the landing craft. He still gets compliments on that leg.

    27. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by BringsApples · · Score: 1

      We owe the Chinese... umm, all of our monitory system's worth? I think they may be just checking in on us, big-brother style, just to make sure what the hell we're doing with it all.

      --
      Politics; n. : A religion whereby man is god.
    28. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by tjb6 · · Score: 1

      As opposed, for instance, to another "murican" asshole with their world view centred in North America.

      The view from the outside, guys, is that the US does many things to other countries that it would never tolerate having done to itself.

      Unfortunately, the more moderate citizens of the US (I've met quite a few), don't seem to get heard outside of the US.

      Cyber attacks are an extension of espionage - been happening for thousands of years, nearly everyone does it, probably never going to stop, so let's not go down the path of "OMG, they stole our technology by cyber espionage, lets cut trade / shoot them / bomb them / water board them / whatever..."

      Previous posters are correct, trade wars can lead to real wars where many real people die - and those people in the news, in other countries, are real people too.

    29. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The U.S has been running trade wars, sanction wars, economy wars, and of course the good old military wars, for 50 years. If you haven't figured out yet that the U.S have been driving for full control over markets, economy and geopolitics since the end of World War 2, then you need to wake up, you sheep.

    30. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Charliemopps · · Score: 2

      This is what they flat out admit:

      In short, the officials say, while the N.S.A. cannot spy on Airbus and give the results to Boeing, it is free to spy on European or Asian trade negotiators and use the results to help American trade officials — and, by extension, the American industries and workers they are trying to bolster.

      http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05... ...and that's what they admit...

      China admits nothing and we have no proof that the hackers have anything to do with the Chinese government.

    31. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Uhhh.... I don't even have a slashdot account. I always post anon. Not sure where you are pulling out these conspiracy theories.

    32. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      and the US can cover the entire Chinese country with mushroom clouds so what exactly is your point?

    33. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      That makes about as much sense as saying if you amass $150m, its like having 100kids...

    34. Re: It's time to start a trade war. by rtb61 · · Score: 2

      The US admits to being actively engaged in economic warfare against other countries with rabid psychopathic claims of it being somehow legal and complains, whines and then ruthlessly attacks other countries when they do far less, like threatening to stop using the World $US Bank and cease propping up the US economy. This stupidity is going to get a lot worse being prodded along by the US military industrial complex, screaming for more money now, a lot of other allied countries are going to start getting caught up in the cross fire.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    35. Re:It's time to start a trade war. by bombman · · Score: 1

      I'm not sure slamming each others companies with ddos attacks would be good.
      But it would be appropriate if someone could infect their forced "firewall"
      software to ddos their own internal surveillance structure to smoldering bits.

  2. Well, DUH. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anybody with a brain knows this has been going on for years.

    1. Re:Well, DUH. by uCallHimDrJ0NES · · Score: 2

      Anybody with a brain knows this has been going on for years.

      You are a WIT, my friend. Have you considered stand-up comedy? Good thing you posted anonymously, because that kind of blazing display of wordsmithery is likely to make you some enemies.

      --
      Cloudiot: A person who does not see offsite storage as a way to lose control over access to his or her own data.
  3. TAO by MagickalMyst · · Score: 4, Interesting

    The NSA refers to its own "Hacker Units" as TAO, or "Tailored Access Operations".

    TAO is also a Chinese word that means "the Way".

    --
    Political correctness is really just herd psychology pushed by insecure people who desperately seek social conformity.
    1. Re:TAO by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Considering loans from China are funding a big chunk of the US government it makes sense they would want naming rights.

    2. Re:TAO by jbmartin6 · · Score: 1

      I think the role of Chinese lending is overblown. The share of US debt held by China is the largest chunk outside that held by the Federal Reserve, it is true. But that chunk is in the vicinity of 5%.

      --
      This posting is provided 'AS IS' without warranty of any kind, implied or otherwise.
  4. In my day.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    The group’s sophistication is demonstrated less in how it gains access to targets’ computers and more in how it moves “laterally’’ once inside the system, disguising its behavior to look normal so it goes undetected, said Peter B. LaMontagne, Novetta Solutions chief executive officer.

    In my day, spies had to get into the building, gain access to the blueprint file cabinet drawers, photograph them - on film no less and getting the exposure right, and then make their way out without getting caught.

    It was ALL social engineering back then - OLD school.

    You whipper snappers sitting behind your keyboards eating Cheetoes or Lo Mein (whatever the case may be) and drinking Wired Bull, or whatever those caffeine drinks are called, are just a bunch of lazy good for nothings!

    We had to WALK and GET INTO a building and even TALK to people!

    Pffft!

    I'd like to see some Chinese spy walk into a high tech firm and go un-noticed!

    H1-bs? Oh, shit! Yeah, ....Um.....never mind.

    Captcha "crackpot" - Ahahahahahahahahaha!

  5. What's the difference? by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 2

    I presume the company I work for is a target, but it's no less a target from any other government.

    This isn't news I can use. There's no behavior change that is a rational response to this. It's not like we didn't already know there are several governments trying to get access to all out stuff.

    --
    I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
    1. Re:What's the difference? by fustakrakich · · Score: 2

      It's important to keep up the fear factor. People are more compliant.

      --
      “He’s not deformed, he’s just drunk!”
    2. Re:What's the difference? by Vlad_the_Inhaler · · Score: 1

      The first thing I thought of when I saw this was: "Incredibly tricky, these orientals". Cliches I grew up with! Great!
      Time to put out the honeypots. All the gory details on lukewarm fusion, and AS YET UNPATENTED. It just needs to look very plausible, 'cos they're very tricky.

      --
      Mielipiteet omiani - Opinions personal, facts suspect.
    3. Re:What's the difference? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Don't you mean that they are 'wily' and/or 'inscrutable'?

    4. Re:What's the difference? by thieh · · Score: 2

      Of course, If you count in the problem that the FBI is also advocating against encryption, one must wonder whether the FBI is commiting treason by letting foreign entities searching our secrets.

  6. if they hacked Slashdot by swschrad · · Score: 1

    they'd have the world's largest stock of bad tech puns, as well as all the troll stock they'd need to stultify the entire military machine. just think! -- unable to launch total world war because they can't decide on which desktop and which distro to send into the field!

    --
    if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
    1. Re:if they hacked Slashdot by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      Just wait until the get into a discussion over text editors. It would paralyze them for centuries.

      --
      Time to offend someone
  7. No, not us... by Jawnn · · Score: 0

    What is it about the Chinese that compels them to grin and flatly deny that which is clearly and demonstrably so? No reasonable person above the age of three would be so disingenuous, so why the stupid and childish denials?

    1. Re:No, not us... by tomhath · · Score: 1

      Cultures are different. East is East, West is West.

    2. Re:No, not us... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Probably the same reason the US government denies doing it.
      Rational people consider it immoral.

    3. Re:No, not us... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Remember that the Chinese internet is held behind a stupidly huge firewall controlled by the government.

      It could easily be confused signals
      Worse, it could even be people that have found a way to hack and abuse the great firewall of china itself.
      Even worse, it actually could be them.

      And if it is the latter, just hack them back.
      If China complain, tell them to get rid of their firewall so they can find the real targets.

    4. Re:No, not us... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Acoording to what we know ALL U.S. developed IT products are chock-full of backdoors to be perused by NSA, the Russkie mafia, Chinese intel and the Nork Long Range Recon forces.

      The only difference being that the Chinese try to pwn PCs while NSA pwns the routers and telephone switches.

      Wake me up when you have discovered some I.T: product without exploitable holes.

    5. Re:No, not us... by PPH · · Score: 1

      Probably a feeling that such activities bring shame upon their people. Nothing like the USA.

      --
      Have gnu, will travel.
    6. Re:No, not us... by mars-nl · · Score: 1

      Have you heard the US government say: "Yes, we spy on the whole internet including American civilians, including government leaders of friendly nations. Yes, we know it's against our own laws. Yes, we also engage in economic espionage."? I guess I missed that statement from Obama. Of course any government would deny any uncovered secret operation.

      Also, have you thought about the scenario, that the Chinese government is actually NOT involved in this? Have you considered that all these reports from all these self-proclaimed security researchers, might be inaccurate or just wrong? Have you read these reports (I mean actual report, not the summaries in the press)? Would this report hold up in court as prove? And would the US government care whether it was wrong or inaccurate? Or would it benefit some (domestic) political agenda? Just asking questions. You should try it too.

    7. Re:No, not us... by Jawnn · · Score: 1

      Cultures are different. East is East, West is West.

      Yes, but rational behavior transcends culture, does it not? What possible rational reason could an adult have for denying that which is patently obvious to anyone who cares to look?

  8. War? by Stan92057 · · Score: 2

    And this isn't an act of War why?

    --
    Jack of all trades,master of none
    1. Re:War? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And this isn't an act of War why?

      Because it is China. Seriously, that is why.

  9. Irony by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Insightful

    Yeah, how dare they trespass on the FBI's domain like that!

  10. That's ok since... by GerardAtJob · · Score: 4, Insightful

    Since the US does not need any warrant to hack in a remote computer (out of US), why Chinese should not hack into US server without warrant or warning??

    It's legal isn't it ?

    --
    I can't call that English ;-)
    1. Re:That's ok since... by LessThanObvious · · Score: 1

      That's one of the best reasons to curtail the spying and hacking as sponsored by the state. How can we tell the Chinese to cut it out if we do the same to them? The difference between our spying that isn't driven by corporate intellectual property theft and theirs that often is driven by that kind of theft is lost in the noise when you actually want to claim the moral high ground in trade talks. One guilty party will not have much luck shaming another.

  11. Unit 61398 by grumpy_old_grandpa · · Score: 1

    Asumming Unit 61398 was part of a 65535 strong platoon, I guess there are only 65534 units left to be worried abput?

  12. China, home to government sponsored thieves? by TiggertheMad · · Score: 4, Insightful

    This is news that nerds might be interested in. If you have no use for it, clearly you aren't a nerd. Go elsewhere for your news. I am tired of people bitching about stories that don't pertain to them. If you don't find them useful, then don't read them.

    This is important news. If China is stepping up it's state sponsored spying and digital theft, I want to know about it. It might be useful background info to know so that when the president decides to park a cruse missile on a building in China, you know some of the history that lead to this decision.

    --

    HA! I just wasted some of your bandwidth with a frivolous sig!
    1. Re:China, home to government sponsored thieves? by TechyImmigrant · · Score: 1

      >This is important news.
      I'm not criticizing the reporting. I'm criticizing the FBI for putting out blatantly manipulative, fear mongering press releases.

      > If China is stepping up it's state sponsored spying and digital theft
      They are. So is everyone else. That isn't new news.

      >If you have no use for it
      If they told us something we could take action on, like a way to distinguish these 'new' bad actors from anyone else, that would be news I could use.

      >clearly you aren't a nerd
      Yes clearly. I'll hand my nerd card into the local nerd management office and take up accounting rather than crypto.

      --
      I should use this sig to advertise my book ISBN-13 : 978-1501515132.
  13. we need a new NSA by hawguy · · Score: 1

    The USA should have an agency (maybe call it the NSA+) that's tasked with helping companies shore up cyber defenses... Maybe even doing code reviews and penetration testing of common software to look for vulnerabilities. Instead we have an NSA that exploits vulnerabilities and creates new backdoors into software and networks with no real oversight or accountability

    1. Re:we need a new NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If only there were something like a National Guard Cyber unit that could help...

    2. Re:we need a new NSA by brrant · · Score: 2

      The USA should have an agency (maybe call it the NSA+) that's tasked with helping companies shore up cyber defenses... Maybe even doing code reviews and penetration testing of common software to look for vulnerabilities. Instead we have an NSA that exploits vulnerabilities and creates new backdoors into software and networks with no real oversight or accountability

      While they merrily install backdoors in the systems of every business they, "help."

    3. Re:we need a new NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Or a Department responsible for Securing the Homeland...

  14. China just following "The Art of War" by BoRegardless · · Score: 4, Interesting

    Sun Tzu said "I would rather have one good spy than 10,000 soldiers."

  15. I WARN the world of fbi/nsa terrorist shit by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I WARN the world of fbi/nsa terrorist shit...good i hope the chinese rip you yanky fuckers a new asshole

  16. Sabu switched employers? by Lawrence_Bird · · Score: 1

    Wow, now that's news. Did the Chinese give him a signing bonus too?

  17. A Way Out by JimSadler · · Score: 2

    Consider the size of US debts to China. Consider that we could seize and keep Chinese assets for the crime of cyber espionage. Or as an alternative we could try a hack that destroys the economic system of China. Maybe China needs a formal warning that we make make them howl, gnash their teeth and cast them into darkness for eternity.

    1. Re:A Way Out by Lesrahpem · · Score: 1

      Consider the size of US debts to China. Consider that we could seize and keep Chinese assets for the crime of cyber espionage. Or as an alternative we could try a hack that destroys the economic system of China. Maybe China needs a formal warning that we make make them howl, gnash their teeth and cast them into darkness for eternity.

      IMHO wrecking the Chinese economy would have significant negative impact on our own.

    2. Re:A Way Out by Bob+the+Super+Hamste · · Score: 1

      Short term yes. Long term maybe or maybe not, it depends on if we decide to make crap here again or not.

      --
      Time to offend someone
    3. Re:A Way Out by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Good tactic to get other people to lend you money Einstein!

      1.Get their money
      2.Do not pay your debts because so
      3.Repeat
      4.???

      Good luck!

  18. So by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So man up about it. Hack them back, steal all their info and post it all online. Names locations connections accounts money.

  19. More to fear from the FBI than the chinese by Rujiel · · Score: 1

    The chinese might break into your secure email server, but they won't plant child porn on it in an attempt to incriminate you. The FBI, on the other hand..

  20. In my day.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    What makes you think most modern "hacks" aren't performed through social engineering?

  21. we need a new NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Canada has such an agency - on paper at least, that's part of what the CSE does. I don't know how many "other" more sinister things they do.

  22. Bullshit by ruir · · Score: 1

    Yeah, Chinese bastards, they even wrote stuxnet and that chinese defelector, snowden, is the worst of lot. (Really, slashdot, really? )

  23. This just in... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Pot calls kettle black, announces kettle responsible for cooking. Kettle has not responded to a request for comment.

  24. Clinton says by raymorris · · Score: 1, Offtopic

    The pen is mightier than the sword.
    - Edward Bulwer-Lytton

    The penis, mightier than the sword.
    - Bill Clinton

    1. Re:Clinton says by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      The penis mightier, then the sword ....
      -Anonymous Coward

  25. I'm more concerned about NSA by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    I'm more concerned about NSA/FBI and police hacking than I am Chinese hackers.

  26. Jokes on them! by jbeaupre · · Score: 1

    I work for a Chinese company. So should I just think of these hackers as automatic cloud storage?

    --
    The world is made by those who show up for the job.
  27. Valuable data on the internet? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If the data is valuable then it wont be on the internet. Ipso facto, if it is on the internet then it isn't valuable.

  28. FBI no encryption will really help this by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    No more hacking, nothing to hide, everything is free, no more locks on any sort of data, what an epic success!

  29. Things everyone can do by laughingskeptic · · Score: 1

    In your firewall:

    1. Whitelist destination IPs for destination port 53, workflow denials adding IPs that have reverse DNS entries. (e.g. don't allow access to fly-by night DNS servers)

    2. Whitelist source IPs for destination port 53. (E.g. do not allow alternate DNS servers to be used inside your org)

    Have your org's DNS servers point to OpenDNS or GoogleDNS -- they do a good job of filtering out the rifraf

  30. Windows users need only worry .. by lippydude · · Score: 1

    "The FBI on Wednesday issued a private warning to industry that a group of highly skilled Chinese government hackers was in the midst of a long-running campaign to steal valuable data from U.S. companies and government agencies"

    Nothing to read here, moving on ...

  31. Bla bla bla by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The real problem is the U.S and its government agencies. China is trying to maintain a balance, whereas the U.S is trying to take over the world. If you want a balance in the world power and freedom, look to China and be wary of the U.S.

  32. FBI Doesn't plant evidence by Etherwalk · · Score: 2

    The chinese might break into your secure email server, but they won't plant child porn on it in an attempt to incriminate you. The FBI, on the other hand..

    Citation needed. Most FBI & Justice types I've met would not do that kind of thing. People who are into law enforcement have political agendas, yes, but there's a big red line between acting on a political agenda and outright felony criminal behavior.

    Sure, the FBI will sometimes publicly support things which hurt as a society because it makes it easier for them to do their jobs (e.g. fighting encryption), and they do a lot of entrapment of people who go along with whatever crime they set up (in most domestic terrorism cases you hear about the FBI is the one selling the arms to the "terrorists").

    But at the end of the day, they're generally law enforcement guys interested in arresting people who violate the law, not in pretending innocent people have violated the law.

    1. Re:FBI Doesn't plant evidence by manwargi · · Score: 1

      and they do a lot of entrapment of people who go along with whatever crime they set up (in most domestic terrorism cases you hear about the FBI is the one selling the arms to the "terrorists").

      But at the end of the day, they're generally law enforcement guys interested in arresting people who violate the law, not in pretending innocent people have violated the law.

      There is quite a bit of contradiction in those lines, and the former of them is the very reason the grandparent finds the FBI more threatening.

    2. Re:FBI Doesn't plant evidence by Etherwalk · · Score: 1

      and they do a lot of entrapment of people who go along with whatever crime they set up (in most domestic terrorism cases you hear about the FBI is the one selling the arms to the "terrorists").

      But at the end of the day, they're generally law enforcement guys interested in arresting people who violate the law, not in pretending innocent people have violated the law.

      There is quite a bit of contradiction in those lines, and the former of them is the very reason the grandparent finds the FBI more threatening.

      Not at all. They entrap people, yes, but they only arrest people who actually commit the crime. Sometimes it's a pretty terrible thing to do, sometimes it isn't, but either way, it's arresting people who committed the crime.

    3. Re:FBI Doesn't plant evidence by Rujiel · · Score: 1

      "but they only arrest people who actually commit the crime" ...after prodding them for months and giving them all the necessary training and materials to commit said crime. Then the FBI cheers as if it helped to solve a situation that it in reality created. You are delusional if you don't see the problem with that.

  33. The FBI just wants to help... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    China, by demanding that electronic devices and communications have crippled or faulty encryption.

    Wait, what?

  34. FBI planted child porn by Rujiel · · Score: 1

    This is easy. See: Freedom Hosting.
    http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2013/09/fbi-admits-what-we-all-suspected-it-compromised-freedom-hostings-tor-servers/
    The FBI had compromised this guy's servers for months, and then viola, there's child porn on there. The fact that the dudes you know from the business seem like right ol' chaps is no reflection on the nature of the FBI or its sordid, filthy history.
    You realize the FBI is constantly arming and training wannabe terrorists to the brink of action, right? http://occupywallst.org/forum/...

  35. FBI is ran by mormons too by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Most people don't know the FBI is primarily a Mormon organization.

  36. FBI Warnings by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Do they warn about their own surveillance?

    More propaganda from a fascist state.

  37. Darwin by CPUmonster · · Score: 1

    They're evolving!!!

  38. I'm getting confused here. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Encryption bad;
    http://yro-beta.slashdot.org/story/14/10/16/1915216/fbi-director-continues-his-campaign-against-encryption
    Hackers Bad;
    Ripping off data as per this story.

    Does not encryption foil hackers? Then it's good unless it stops the FBI, then it's bad.
    This good/Bad thing about who gets to steal your data is pretty confusing.
    Chinese bad, FBI good?

  39. Gradual stealing is the theam ..Sun Tsu Art ofWar by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    China is good at conquering without sword/blood/rhetoric (unlinke Putin Russia), so it seems.

    On one hand US/Canadian govts were giving notices for past decade to companies in US/CA about industrial espionage by Chinese agents, on the other hand US/Canadian govts allow Chinese made routers and other hardwares into the country, small businesses make use of those cheap routers, and subscribe to "free internet services" that helps Chinese businesses to steal customer data and starting a cloned-business, etc. I'm not sure what percentage of Chinese students/employees are there working-hard, and gradually collecting materials/technology to be shipped to motherland.

    I think US/Canada should scrap WTO, instead of propping up China(closed/secrective/centrally manipulated economy), US/CA should lead on creating WTO-for-Democratic-Market-Economy-countries. It is not good idea to enrich China any more, rather make sure the rewards of global economy (WTO) goes to multiple countries surrounding China. We have to do this before China gets out of hand to harm the world.

  40. Deal with this daily..... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    I will simply say its interesting times and its very real