I’m a National Hero – he’s a Terrorist!

China’s economic espionage has reached an intolerable level and I believe that the United States and our allies in Europe and Asia have an obligation to confront Beijing and demand that they put a stop to this piracy.

Or what? Bomb the slitty eyed so an’ so’s? Spying, or revealing another country’s secrets, is a dreadful habit, shouldn’t do it – especially not revealing military secrets…

APT1 is believed to be the 2nd Bureau of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) General staff Department’s (GsD) 3rd Department, which is most commonly known by its Military unit Cover Designator (MuCD) as unit 61398.The nature of “Unit 61398’s” work is considered by China to be a state secret; however, we believe it engages in harmful “Computer Network Operations.”

Unit 61398 is partially situated on Datong Road in Gaoqiaozhen, which is located in the Pudong New Area of Shanghai. The central building in this compound is a 130,663 square foot facility that is 12 stories high and was built in early 2007.

But it’s perfectly alright when we do it…is it OK if China and its allies have an obligation to confront Mandiant and demand that they put a stop to this piracy of State Secrets?

Unit 61398 requires its personnel to be trained in computer security and computer network operations and also requires its personnel to be proficient in the English language.

I’ll hazard a guess here – Mandiant’s requires its personnel to be trained in computer security and computer network operations and also requires its personnel to be proficient in the universal computer language…

Of the 141 APT1 victims, 87% of them are headquartered in countries where English is the native language.

That’ll be because – it’ll come to me in a moment….

In over 97% of the 1,905 times Mandiant observed APt1 intruders connecting to their attack infrastructure, APt1 used IP addresses registered in shanghai and systems set to use the simplified Chinese language.

I’d be prepared to bet that Mandiant use IP addresses registered in the USA to track APt1′s activities and systems set to use the US keyboard? What think you?

In an effort to underscore that there are actual individuals behind the keyboard, Mandiant is revealing three personas that are associated with aPt1 activity.

Mandiant will be the first to run screaming to the authorities if it discovers that China is publicly identifying three of its personnel. Probably claiming their lives are at risk after being identified by cyber terrorists…

The Times this morning has come out with an article describing how the Spy Mandiant has been successfully spying on the Spy APt1 and as proof of the veracity of their claims, has sent its intrepid reporter into the back streets of Shanghai, where he interviewed informed sources:

A sales assistant working in a snack shop acknowledged that the area was teeming with PLA, and that the shop itself was owned by the wife of an officer. Asked what the soldiers of Unit 61398 did, she received a sharp elbow in the ribs from her boss: “We don’t know and we don’t care,” she said, quickly.

China is no doubt at this very moment dispatching a reporter to interview the counter assistant in the local donut store by Mandiant’s headquarters, who confirms that she doesn’t have a clue what goes on in there…

The testimony of tradesmen in the surrounding streets appeared to confirm Mandiant’s claim that the block was at the centre of a huge complex housing more than 1,000 computer servers and an army of linguists, researchers and other technicians working in support of the hackers.

The second hand car salesman at the end of the block housing Mandiant said he was sure they had all sorts of computer equipment in there and hundreds of technicians – it was very good for business he said…

Several years ago, when its operations were still gearing up, Unit 61398 was known to be recruiting in China’s best universities, enticing students with computer science skills through generous military scholarships.

What a brilliant idea, pick the best, ah, looks like America beat them to it…

Dr Irving Lachow, a cyber-security expert at the Centre for a New American Security, an independent think-tank, said that the report exposed a new trend in Chinese cyber attacks, namely the focus on critical infrastructure. “It’s one thing if they are stealing secrets from Coca-Cola, but it’s much more worrying if they are targeting information that could lead them to understand the vulnerability of our pipelines,” he said.

Dr Chop Suey, a bullshit-expose expert at Anna Raccoon, an independent drink-tank, said that the report exposed a new trend in American paranoia, namely the focus on publishing detailed plans and maps of military installations. “It’s one thing if they are stealing secrets from Soy Sauce, but it’s much more worrying if they are targeting information that could lead them to understand the vulnerability of military installations” he said.

Can you begin to imagine the outcry if a Chinese company published detailed maps and photographs identifying American soldiers?

I’m a security expert, he’s a cyber terrorist…

According to Sky News, Kaspersky believes “…we are close, very close, to cyber terrorism.  Perhaps already the criminals have sold their skills to the terrorists – and then… oh, God.”

Kapersky, in the business of selling computer security; Mandiant, in the business of selling computer security; The Times, in the business of promoting fear…

Stan Forecast
February 23, 2013 at 22:27

Just a thought.
Are we not making rather too much of the Chinese
intelligence operation’s.
After all, when I was an Electronic/Acoustic
consultant I got a letter of Chinese origin asking me if I wanted them to do
any of my research on their very new and extensive facilities.
I am not an
angler, but I know a fishing expedition when I see one.
Now, about 10-12
years later I find that British Steel has been sold to India, and I suppose
that well-known Chinese company Jaguar cars, and the other well-known Chinese
company Marconi are only predictable.
It is not my line of country, but
does this not mean that we sold part of our arms industry to India, and an
important part of our defence industry to china? When I saw that Marconi was
now Chinese I recall literally shouting with rage.
I hope that the
accountants that do these things are enjoying their no doubt massive
bonuses!
Come to think of it a few years ago I was seeing adverts to entice
me to join
” The British Army P.L.C” Now I don’t. I wonder whom that was
sold to?
I suppose I should sign myself “Bigoted English Industrialist”,
but within the past week I learn that Volvo are now Chinese. I just felt sick,
and reflected that Idiocy is probably not a purely English characteristic and
that I may not be bigoted.

Stan

2Mac February 23, 2013 at 13:15

All Governments Spy. The presence of Chinese spies in western countries is
easy to establish due to visible characteristics. The internet allows them
easy access to the data sources. Everyone does it. They do it on a scale
larger. ps. They also manufacture the hardware we use for security on IT
systems.

Elena ‘andcart
February 20, 2013 at 21:26

Think of the fun you could have leaving a few Memory Sticks lying around
with a load of gobbledygoop on them.

The hare February 20, 2013 at 18:24

So hypocrisy is still alive and flourishing. What a pleasant surprise.

Don Cox February 20, 2013 at 13:41

The Chinese are spying on Britain to find out how not to run a country.

binao February 20, 2013 at 13:21

All pretty serious I’m sure, but at a more mundane level I received a load
of someone else’s emails from nhs direct on Sunday. They disappeared later.
Even from my delete box. So that can also happen to mine? As well as the speed
and reliability problems?
The Chinese are a long way down my list of
worries.

Mizz Mildred
February 20, 2013 at 11:28

Good idea not to leave memory sticks strewn about. Such tiny things with so
many ‘secrets’. I found one recently in Matalan, of all places. A headmistress
had dropped it. Pupils names and addresses. Accounts. Comments. Minutes of
meetings. So much on one little Gizmo. She came scuttling for it after my
husband tracked her down and gave her a b*ll*****G. In spite of all the
passwords and encryptions etc: Careless persons in responsible jobs do daft
things with private info. Chinese….! them Russians are still spooking around
too, always nosey…..especially with Mr P back in his Machiavellian role.
What’s worth finding out about this god forsaken isle? Populated by labour
voters who ignore the horrendous damage done to UK by their labour freakos,
over 13 years of doling out tax payers money to all comers. They say Cons are
cruel and hard and vicious. Incompetent wastrels are worse for countries and
Europe. The Americans own Salem and McCarthyism in their CV. So they WILL get
twitchy about Chinese internet spookery….it’s in their national genes.

Moor
Larkin February 20, 2013 at 11:14

Kharry On Up The Cyber

The Chinese have the great advantage that their keyboards make no sense at
all to the Western mind….
http://d24w6bsrhbeh9d.cloudfront.net/photo/5551148_700b_v1.jpg

Mark February 20, 2013 at 11:09

Nicely put

Engineer February 20, 2013 at 10:30

So their spies are doing what our spies are probably doing? The fiends!
Well, don’t put secrets on networked computers, then. Oh, and don’t leave
memory sticks lying around on train seats, either.

Ho Hum February 20, 2013 at 10:03

It makes you wonder what quotes the indigenous Chinese foreign holiday
journals managed to get from the blue rinsed of Cheltenham, about the tourist
attraction that is the rather large amateur radio station sitting on its
outskirts. Starting, possibly, with ‘Full of interesting pedallers, with
obsessions for ladies fashion items, who go on holiday locked inside their own
bags to save on the travel costs’

Joe Public February 20, 2013 at 09:14

And of course US spy satellites, with resolution-capability far-greater
than Google Earth, never overfly Chinese territory, do they?

On the other hand, we in the UK allow internet searches of our now-not-so
Secret Bases.

Ed P February 20, 2013 at 09:06

Publsihing – have you been at the “drink-tank” already?

Anna
Raccoon February 20, 2013 at
09:21

Left over from last night….