Foreign journalists in China targeted by malware attacks

Advertisement
By Reuters | Updated: 14 September 2012 15:43 IST
Foreign journalists in China targeted by malware attacks
Foreign journalists in Beijing have been targeted by two very similar malware attacks in just over two weeks in the lead-up to China's once-in-a-decade leadership transition.

The emails one appearing to come from a Beijing based foreign correspondent and the other from a Washington-based think tank both contained an attachment with the same type of malware, according to independent cyber security expert Greg Walton who reviewed the files.

Malware attacks on foreign correspondents in China, Chinese dissidents or academics researching China tend to spike in the periods leading up to politically sensitive events for China. Previous spikes occurred ahead of the Beijing Olympics in 2008 and the 60th anniversary of Communist Party rule in 2009.

A government spokesman warned against jumping to conclusions about who was responsible.

"China manages the Internet according to law and has engaged in cooperation with the international community to promote Internet security. Internet security is a complicated issue," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said when asked about the emails.

Advertisement

"China is also a victim of Internet attacks. The source of these Internet attacks is very difficult to determine. Reaching conclusions without sufficient evidence or fair and thorough investigations, it's just not serious."

Both of the emails referred to the upcoming handover of power in the top ranks of the ruling Communist Party.

Advertisement

The attachment, if opened, would have installed malware that sent encrypted information from the user's computer to an external server. That server is hosted in Britain.

It has often proven difficult to prove who is behind malicious hacking attacks related to China.

Advertisement

"The Chinese government often gives blanket denials that this happens, and in some cases the left arm may not know what the right arm is doing," said Duncan Clark, chairman of technology consultancy BDA in Beijing.

The Communist Party will hold its party congress some time in coming weeks in Beijing, although the date has not yet been announced. At the congress, the top positions in the party are expected to be transferred to a new generation of leaders.

Copyright Thomson Reuters 2012

 

For the latest tech news and reviews, follow Gadgets 360 on X, Facebook, WhatsApp, Threads and Google News. For the latest videos on gadgets and tech, subscribe to our YouTube channel. If you want to know everything about top influencers, follow our in-house Who'sThat360 on Instagram and YouTube.

Further reading: Internet security, malware
Advertisement

Related Stories

Popular Mobile Brands
  1. Redmi Note 14 SE 5G Launched in India With 50-Megapixel Rear Camera
  2. Vivo V60 to Launch in India Soon; Reportedly Spotted on TRDA Site
  3. OnePlus Buds 4 Review: The New Standard for Value ANC Earbuds
  4. Oppo K13 Turbo Series Confirmed to Launch in India Soon
  5. Vivo T4R 5G Price Range and Key Features Confirmed Ahead of India Launch
  6. Xiaomi 16 Ultra Teased; Could Launch Earlier Than Expected
  1. Samsung Announces Third Edition of ‘Walk-a-thon India’ Challenge; Galaxy Watch 8 to Be Won
  2. The Elder Scrolls IV: Oblivion Remastered Has Crossed 9 Million Players
  3. Vivo T4R 5G Price Range in India and Key Features Revealed Ahead of July 31 Launch
  4. Meizu 22 Design Teased: to Offer Narrowest Bezels Ever On a Smartphone
  5. Runway Unveils Aleph Video-to-Video AI Model That Can Be Used for Post-Production
  6. Acerpure Advance G Series TVs Launched in India With 120Hz QLED Screen and Dolby Atmos Audio
  7. Xiaomi 16 Ultra Officially Teased; Said to Launch By the End of This Year
  8. Redmi Note 14 SE 5G Launched in India With MediaTek Dimensity 7025 Ultra SoC, 50-Megapixel Rear Camera
  9. Microsoft Reportedly Working on a Smart Mode for Copilot, Could Be Unveiled Alongside OpenAI’s GPT-5
  10. Samsung Galaxy Z Fold 7 Survives Bend Test Despite Its Thinner Design
Gadgets 360 is available in
Download Our Apps
Available in Hindi
© Copyright Red Pixels Ventures Limited 2025. All rights reserved.