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China Security

Palo Alto Chose Not To Tie China To Hacking Campaign For Fear of Retaliation From Beijing (reuters.com) 45

An anonymous reader shares a report: Palo Alto Networks opted not to tie China to a global cyberespionage campaign the firm exposed last week over concerns that the cybersecurity company or its clients could face retaliation from Beijing, according to two people familiar with the matter. The sources said that Palo Alto's findings that China was tied to the sprawling hacking spree were dialed back following last month's news, first reported by Reuters, that Palo Alto was one of about 15 U.S. and Israeli cybersecurity companies whose software had been banned by Chinese authorities on national security grounds.

A draft version of the report by Palo Alto's Unit 42, the company's threat intelligence arm, said that the prolific hackers -- dubbed "TGR-STA-1030" in a report published on Thursday of last week -- were connected to Beijing, the two people said. The finished report instead described the hacking group more vaguely as a "state-aligned group that operates out of Asia." Attributing sophisticated hacks is notoriously difficult and debates over how best to assign blame for digital intrusions are common among cybersecurity researchers.

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Palo Alto Chose Not To Tie China To Hacking Campaign For Fear of Retaliation From Beijing

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  • Cowards (Score:5, Insightful)

    by Coius ( 743781 ) on Thursday February 12, 2026 @03:19PM (#65985382)

    If you let them off to hook, it'll only get worse.

    • Did you read the same post I did? It clearly indicates that they actually didn't know the identity of the hackers, and with the skills of the CIA wrt making hacks looks like they come from elsewhere, I'm not surprised. It's rather refreshing to see some not falling for the CIA's tricks, for a change.

  • by CommunityMember ( 6662188 ) on Thursday February 12, 2026 @03:21PM (#65985392)
    Anyone with any clue knew what those weaselly words meant, and Palo Alto Networks knew how those words would be interpreted by anyone with clue. If the goal was to not hurt Palo Alto Networks reputation with Beijing, they did not do a great job.
  • If PA is willing to engage in deception and coverups in order to simp and cover for authoritarians... and obviously they are, because they did... then they can simply never be trusted in a security context again. And since security is basically their entire thing; anyone who uses them or continues to use them, moving forward, is a catastrophic fool.

  • by rsilvergun ( 571051 ) on Thursday February 12, 2026 @03:47PM (#65985462)
    He sold it to America as bringing democracy to them. Now we know how absolutely full of shit he was..

    I mean anyone paying attention knows Nixon was always full of shit about practically everything but this one especially stings. Instead of America exporting democracy to china, China is exporting authoritarian fascism to america.
    • The idea of exporting Western European democracy to cultures
      it does not fit was bipartisan, but reducing the odds of nuclear war by giving the CCP economic skin in the game was an improvement over decades of nuclear standoff.

      Nixons and millions of other Americans key error was imagining US businesses were capable of patriotism.

      Democracy ensured idiocracy so here we are. I can't blame the rich for taking advantage of thoroughly unappealing bipedal bovines.

    • by Anonymous Coward

      Wouldn't a democracy make China even stronger????

    • by doug141 ( 863552 )

      Yes. The book "The Devil's Chessboard: Allen Dulles, the CIA, and the Rise of America's Secret Government" has a section discussing the rise of Nixon's corruption. His abuse of power started at least as early as an officer in the Navy overseeing spending contracts. He was then tapped as a useful asset to spoil a California election. His handlers were as anti-democratic as people get.

    • Re: (Score:2, Troll)

      by TigerPlish ( 174064 )

      Who let China into WTO with "Most Preferred Status?"

      It wasn't Tricky Dicky.

      It was Billy Bob Clinton.

      Nixon opened the door, but Billy Bob Clinton took the door off the hinges.

      Wherever you're getting your talking points from is failing you miserably.. you should really return all the yuan they're paying you to shit all over this site.

      Manufacturing in the US didn't crater 'til after China was let into WTO. Fact.

      https://global-uploads.webflow... [webflow.com]

      Now. Would you care to re-assess your statement, or are you gonna

      • No matter what. Look it up. 70% of middle class jobs lost since 1980 got taken by automation not outsourcing.

        The Republicans don't talk about it because it lets them shift wealth to the top and as the right wing party that is a positive outcome in their minds.

        The Democrats don't know what the fuck to do about it because outside of wealth redistribution there really isn't anything you can do about it and the voters don't like socialism.

        We've got to figure something out fast. America is at 25% func
    • Don't blame China for your own political problems...you only have yourselves to blame. China is not the USA and does not force it's politics on others.

  • by Anonymous Coward
    Did the Chinese State Security hack in from their home address /s
  • A new level of stupidity has been created. Far about just stupid and highly stupid, and even crazy stupid is no PaloAlto stupid. A level so stupid that an IQ test must be performed to verify that those with it should be considered living organism.
  • Police: Ma'am, that's quite a black eye you have there. How'd that happen?
    Woman [eyes to the floor]: I ran into a door, Officer. I'm so clumsy sometimes.
    Police: Really, ma'am? It looks to me like your boyfriend beat you pretty hard. For your own safety, I suggest you press charges so that I can arrest him and you can seek a restraining order.
    Woman: No, that won't be necessary, Officer. He's very sorry and won't do it again.

    These kinds of stories never end well.
  • Goes both ways (Score:5, Insightful)

    by seichert ( 8292 ) * on Thursday February 12, 2026 @04:33PM (#65985552)
    As if the NSA and CIA are not trying to hack into computers in China. All part of the game. Never gonna end.
    • Not only that, but they can make their hacks on non-Chinese system look like they come from China! You really cannot tell...

      But, yeah, everyone does it to everyone else, so you'll be correct at some point. It all boils down to "it's OK when we do it, but not when they do it".

  • Just so you know, because of the sheer number of computer enterprises here, using Palo Alto in such a manner is a bit naive.
  • "state-aligned group that operates out of Asia."

    They don't need to actually say it. Everyone knows it is Maldives.

    • I was thinking of (eastern) Egypt. Americans don't seem to understand what "Asia" is, and how big and heterogeneous it is. Calling someone "Asian" is almost meaningless.

  • Nobody wants to antagonise the panda in the room -> https://www.youtube.com/watch?... [youtube.com]
  • If you stop paying your lunch money to the bully, he might get mad and act against you!

  • Or how about a joke on the cesspool of the vanities that Palo Alto has devolved into?

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