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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.

15 of 37 comments (clear)

  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.

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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 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."
    4. Re: Refreshing! by zlives · · Score: 1

      my name is "Peggy", you insensitive clod.

    5. 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..

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  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. 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.

  5. 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"
  6. Reverse Trojan by mentil · · Score: 1

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

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

      lol

  7. 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.