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China Denies Report it Hacked African Union Headquarters (reuters.com)

Posted by msmash on from the closer-look dept.

China and the African Union dismissed on Monday a report in French newspaper Le Monde that Beijing had bugged the regional bloc's headquarters in the Ethiopian capital. From a report: An article published Friday in Le Monde, quoting anonymous AU sources, reported that data from computers in the Chinese-built building had been transferred nightly to Chinese servers for five years. After the massive hack was discovered a year ago, the building's IT system including servers was changed, according to Le Monde. During a sweep for bugs after the discovery, microphones hidden in desks and the walls were also detected and removed, the newspaper reported. The $200 million headquarters was fully funded and built by China and opened to great fanfare in 2012. It was seen as a symbol of Beijing's thrust for influence in Africa, and access to the continent's natural resources.

37 comments

  1. Refreshing! by SUCK+MY+BALLS!!! · · Score: 2, Insightful

    At least this story is not about "The Russians!"

    1. Re: Refreshing! by PopeRatzo · · Score: 3, Funny

      The stories and moderation on this site are garbage.

      We apologize for the problems you're having with our site. Please contact Slashdot Customer Support at the 1-800 number in the HELP menu or start on online chat to speak with one of our Customer Experience Specialists. These can also be accessed through the Slashdot app (iOS, Android and Windows Phone) We want you to have the best possible experience at Slashdot, so be sure to stay on the line for a brief survey.

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    2. Re: Refreshing! by Tailhook · · Score: 2

      at the 1-800 number

      Which, ironically, will be answered by "Becky" at an Ethiopian call center run by a Chinese multinational.

      --
      Maw! Fire up the karma burner!
    3. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Many of the stories are either about social or political issues rather than stuff that actually appeals to nerds

      Yea because not all nerds are basement trolls that don't care about social or political issues.

      The pro-Linux crowd used to be people who actually developed software for Linux or used it in IT environments and we're very experienced. Now it's just a bunch of people who run Linux because they think it makes them cool and gives them the opportunity to mock Windows users.

      lol

    4. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      The pro-Linux crowd used to be people who actually developed software for Linux or used it in IT environments and we're very experienced.

      i bet it pisses you off when women and filthy casuals use your precious linux. how dare they? bahahah, i sure hope this is sarcasm.

    5. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      lol "actual nerds" oh boy. when was the last time someone saw your dick without you paying them?

    6. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Does a lonely anime fagpillow count? I have a screebshot on my Windoes 10 India Rootkit Subscription

    7. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That depends - when did your mom raise her price to two dollars?

    8. Re: Refreshing! by Teun · · Score: 1

      You are a whiner and as an AC that doesn't carry any value.

      On the other hand, looking at the comments so far they are just like you totally of-topic.
      So your assumption the nerds that don't care about politics have left /. seems challenged.
      On the other hand, in the original story there is a strong link to technology and still no one here gives any on topic replies.
      Yes I believe the story might have at least elements of truth, regardless of what the Chinese and AU people say.

      --
      "The likes of Facebook and WhatsApp are free to those whose privacy is of zero value."
    9. Re: Refreshing! by zlives · · Score: 1

      my name is "Peggy", you insensitive clod.

    10. Re: Refreshing! by hcs_$reboot · · Score: 1

      start on online Unicode compliant chat to speak with one of our Customer Experience Specialists

      ftfy ; get the story even more unlikely..

      --
      Slashdot, fix the reply notifications... You won't get away with it...
    11. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      There's a good reason that I'm posting as an AC. I requested that my account be deleted out of frustration for the response I received from the Slashdot's management for complaining about all the ads and trackers on this site. I was angry at the reply I received, but I've decided to own what I said and not create a new account as long as things remain as they are. That may not carry any weight with you, but I'm posting AC because I objected to how the site is being run.

      I'll also agree that my post was off-topic, and so is this. I'll own that, too. However, it's a thread that began with complaining about the stories on this site, and arguably in a trollish manner. I don't think I've interfered with a high quality discussion by posting this.

      With respect to this story, it's short on details, and thus it's difficult to have an in-depth discussion about it. It's an interesting story, no doubt, but one that we probably won't get more details about. I wouldn't say that the building was hacked, though, and that's a lousy headline. It's far more accurate to say that the building was backdoored. China constructed the headquarters, and took the opportunity to install the backdoors. I suspect there are plenty of other countries that wouldn't hesitate to install backdoors as well, so I don't think the lesson would be that just China can't be trusted. Rather, it is that if you want to build something that's secure, you have to do it yourself. That applies across a huge range of things, not just to building something like the African Union headquarters. And, in this case, it would have been interesting to exploit these backdoors to send false data back to China. If you know you've been backdoored, in this case, it might be possible to take advantage of the situation politically. Otherwise, it's hard for me to find anything useful to say about this story.

      My issue isn't with this story, but more generally what's posted here. As for the moderation, I'll accept the -1 on my previous post, and it's justified. However, moderation really does a poor job over all at distinguishing between the quality of comments, which is really its purpose. As long as users treat moderation as an agree/disagree button, it's going to do a lousy job. Sometimes the most interesting comments are the ones that present a different perspective that might be disagreeable to some people, which is exactly why it contributes value. People seemed to be more thoughtful in their moderation in the past, and used it to promote well-written comments whether they agreed or disagreed with them.

    12. Re: Refreshing! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      "I suspect there are plenty of other countries that wouldn't hesitate to install backdoors as well, so I don't think the lesson would be that just China can't be trusted."
      If this story had been about the US instead of China I suspect the sentiment expressed in this comment would be very different. Everyone already knows the US is the only country on the planet that conducts foreign intelligence and counterintelligence operations. And then there are the band of idiots who actually believe the US intelligence agencies should provide total transparency and put all their operations up for vote by the public.

      The US spies. China spies. Russia spies, England spies, Israel spies (probably ranks 1st in the worlds top 10 intelligence agencies), France spies, and pretty much any other country on the planet that has indoor plumbing, a stable power grid, and an Internet connection. Although I wonder why China and Russia are so sloppy with their actions. You never hear the Chinese or Russians making counter accusations against the US. Does that mean the US is not running any cyber operations? This seems highly unlikely. Or maybe the US cyber operations already powned both Russia and China? Maybe US cyber operations do not leave enough evidence behind for either China or Russia to backup up any of their accusations? And the Russians and Chinese have never been shy about making shit up wholesale with no corroboration.

      Not all spying accusations directed at China or Russia are true but some are and all it takes is one success to be dangerous.

  2. China is innocent! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    It was Trump and the damned Russkies! This is clearly paid-Russian propaganda in blaming the perfectly innocent Chinese who have never done anything wrong in human history.

  3. Deja Vu. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    Reminds me when the Russians built the American embassy.

    1. Re:Deja Vu. by St.Creed · · Score: 2

      Oh yeah, that one was absolutely hilarious. The Moscow embassy: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/11...

      A pretty expensive joke, but I'm sure that given the fact the entire world was laughing its collective asses off, it was well worth it in health benefits alone.

      --
      Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
    2. Re:Deja Vu. by St.Creed · · Score: 2

      Oh, this is how it ended. More juice goodness :)

      http://www.sfgate.com/news/art...

      --
      Therefore, by the (faulty) logic you're using, you're just a cow with a keyboard - osu-neko (2604)
  4. Marketing Messages by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Chinese and others might benefit from some marketing lessons. Now they have to generate 13 positive messages to counter this one negative event to gain their influence back to where it was.

  5. I like Chinese by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    They only come up to your knees

  6. Amazon Echo Beta by Zorro · · Score: 0

    They figured if it could recognize Nigerian and Chinese it was ready for anything.

  7. Re:China in Africa by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    so much edge lord in one comment

  8. SUBHUMAN vs SUBHUMAN by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    nigs

  9. Hack...Africa? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Why? To grab the number of white people they killed by genocide and stole their land? Or to grab the latest whining about not having whatever resource(food, water..) they no longer have because they fail at managing it?

    1. Re:Hack...Africa? by AHuxley · · Score: 1

      In the past all that was needed was a few embassy, sigint ships and the upgraded Silvermine site in South Africa.
      That gave the NSA and GCHQ total coverage of Africa as the telco equipment was of a set standard.
      junk encryption was provided by the UK, USA to friendly nations all over Africa.

      Now China is building infrastructure, offering funds and advanced new telco equipment.
      What the NSA and GCHQ always thought to be their geographic collect it all advantage all around Africa is now been shared with a collect it all China.

      --
      Domestic spying is now "Benign Information Gathering"
    2. Re: Hack...Africa? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      And Russia, your specialist subject, what of them?

  10. We Did It! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    ... said no spy ever.

  11. The building wasn't hacked by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

    The building wasn't hacked, at least not as the term is generally used. China built the headquarters for the African Union and used the opportunity to install backdoors. The distinction is between exploiting an unintentional vulnerability versus one that was deliberately placed. This situation is the latter.

  12. "$you denies raping and murdering children" - WTF by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Anyone can make accusations.
    It's the accuser's job to prove them.
    Otherwise the only news is "Accuser is a lying asshole, and shouldn't be surprised if he gets stoned."

    And, for the record, I think the USA, Russia, China, the UK, Israel, Germany, France, and normally several other countries, are hacking ALL the things. Unless they already got access to it in the first place. No exceptions.
    Making them all assholes who will be the first in a pile of ashes when the aliens cure this planet.

  13. Reverse Trojan by mentil · · Score: 1

    Apparently, Communist China makes YOU go inside Trojan Horse. Wait, how do these jokes work again?

    --
    Corruption is convincing someone that the selfless ideal is the same as their selfish ideal.
    1. Re:Reverse Trojan by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      I guess it isn't surprising that African nations aren't familiar with the idea of a Trojan horse.

    2. Re: Reverse Trojan by Brockmire · · Score: 1

      lol

  14. They do occupy Tibet.... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    AND call the Dalai Lama a terrorist. Yep, the guy who has a Noble Peace Prize.

    But the West turns a blind eye, due to the cheap labour costs, when outsourcing. #soldsoul

    #FREETIBET

  15. Good indication of anti-Chinese propaganda by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    when even the African union itself dismisses the report.

    1. Re:Good indication of anti-Chinese propaganda by kaatochacha · · Score: 1

      Of course they do. They've been spied on for years, blithely. It's a face issue, and they don't want to look bad.