Leaked Hacking Files Show Chinese Spying On Citizens and Foreigners Alike (pbs.org) 18
An anonymous reader quotes a report from PBS: Chinese police are investigating an unauthorized and highly unusual online dump of documents from a private security contractor linked to the nation's top policing agency and other parts of its government -- a trove that catalogs apparent hacking activity and tools to spy on both Chinese and foreigners. Among the apparent targets of tools provided by the impacted company, I-Soon: ethnicities and dissidents in parts of China that have seen significant anti-government protests, such as Hong Kong or the heavily Muslim region of Xinjiang in China's far west. The dump of scores of documents late last week and subsequent investigation were confirmed by two employees of I-Soon, known as Anxun in Mandarin, which has ties to the powerful Ministry of Public Security. The dump, which analysts consider highly significant even if it does not reveal any especially novel or potent tools, includes hundreds of pages of contracts, marketing presentations, product manuals, and client and employee lists. They reveal, in detail, methods used by Chinese authorities used to surveil dissidents overseas, hack other nations and promote pro-Beijing narratives on social media.
The documents show apparent I-Soon hacking of networks across Central and Southeast Asia, as well as Hong Kong and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. The hacking tools are used by Chinese state agents to unmask users of social media platforms outside China such as X, formerly known as Twitter, break into email and hide the online activity of overseas agents. Also described are devices disguised as power strips and batteries that can be used to compromise Wi-Fi networks. I-Soon and Chinese police are investigating how the files were leaked, the two I-Soon employees told the AP. One of the employees said I-Soon held a meeting Wednesday about the leak and were told it wouldn't affect business too much and to "continue working as normal." The AP is not naming the employees -- who did provide their surnames, per common Chinese practice -- out of concern about possible retribution. The source of the leak is not known. Jon Condra, an analyst with Recorded Future, a cybersecurity company, called it the most significant leak ever linked to a company "suspected of providing cyber espionage and targeted intrusion services for the Chinese security services." According to Condra, citing the leaked material, I-Soon's targets include governments, telecommunications firms abroad and online gambling companies within China.
The documents show apparent I-Soon hacking of networks across Central and Southeast Asia, as well as Hong Kong and the self-ruled island of Taiwan, which Beijing claims as its territory. The hacking tools are used by Chinese state agents to unmask users of social media platforms outside China such as X, formerly known as Twitter, break into email and hide the online activity of overseas agents. Also described are devices disguised as power strips and batteries that can be used to compromise Wi-Fi networks. I-Soon and Chinese police are investigating how the files were leaked, the two I-Soon employees told the AP. One of the employees said I-Soon held a meeting Wednesday about the leak and were told it wouldn't affect business too much and to "continue working as normal." The AP is not naming the employees -- who did provide their surnames, per common Chinese practice -- out of concern about possible retribution. The source of the leak is not known. Jon Condra, an analyst with Recorded Future, a cybersecurity company, called it the most significant leak ever linked to a company "suspected of providing cyber espionage and targeted intrusion services for the Chinese security services." According to Condra, citing the leaked material, I-Soon's targets include governments, telecommunications firms abroad and online gambling companies within China.
I wonder if people are finally understanding... (Score:1, Insightful)
Stories like this are propaganda since the NSA is doing the exact same thing to Americans and foreigners. Exact same thing - well, perhaps heavier on the technical means, but the surveillance is just as complete.
Welcome to your totalitarian country.
Re: I wonder if people are finally understanding.. (Score:1, Interesting)
And the revelations from wikileaks show we can even rely on such stories being true, since the CIA et al can easily fake them to look authentic.
It's all a bit boring, frankly.
Re:I wonder if people are finally understanding... (Score:5, Insightful)
Stories like this are propaganda since the NSA is doing the exact same thing to Americans and foreigners.
This is the form of whataboutism known by the technical name "tu quoque".
Saying "you're one too" does not excuse the behavior.
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.c... [yourlogicalfallacyis.com]
Re: (Score:2)
Re: (Score:3)
Re: (Score:2)
it doesn't excuse the behavior
Correct.
Re: (Score:2)
Stories like this are propaganda since the NSA is doing the exact same thing to Americans and foreigners.
This is the form of whataboutism known by the technical name "tu quoque".
Saying "you're one too" does not excuse the behavior.
https://yourlogicalfallacyis.c... [yourlogicalfallacyis.com]
Quite true... but that doesn't mean the assertion is untrue. American Authorities are spying on their people, mine, the Chinese and everyone else, same as the Chinese are spying on Americans, Europeans their own people and everyone else. The British are doing it also... It's just basic international espionage and has been pretty much going on since we developed writing.
There are two takeaways I have from that, 1. Loose Lips sink ships... It's best to not say too much in a public forum. I don't really kno
From the "no shit Sherlock" department (Score:1)
This is the most non-news news to ever be posted here. Amazing.
Only PR Fix: Send Fucker Carlson there (Score:1, Offtopic)
The Chinese should invite Fucker Carlson over there to ride on the Subway and buy some bread. He'll say how wonderful it is. And he'll say it is safe even if it isn't. I mean he declared the Moscow Subway safe even though it was bombed 3 times in the last decade killing dozens of people, not to mention the derailment deaths.
Re: (Score:2)
The Chinese should invite Fucker Carlson over there to ride on the Subway and buy some bread. He'll say how wonderful it is. And he'll say it is safe even if it isn't. I mean he declared the Moscow Subway safe even though it was bombed 3 times in the last decade killing dozens of people, not to mention the derailment deaths.
For F.C. they kept they operatives on hold, no need for any such event at the time, any left over open minded brave enough to hold a white paper in public just keep jumping out of windows. - a truly dystopian reality F.C. is dreaming of for the rest of us.
"Who, us?" (Score:2)
"No, we'd never..."
Right.
You mean like the US? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:You mean like the US? (Score:4, Insightful)
Re: (Score:1)
I mean this is Assange week after all, let's not forget what was uncovered that sent him to prison.
That the US has a gulag in Guantanamo?
That it still operates black torture sites in Lithuania, Poland, UK and other freedom-loving democracies?
Who's spying on who? (Score:1)
Obviously a spy has obtained the documents.
Water is wet (Score:2)
.