[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]
List: isn
Subject: [ISN] =?iso8859-7?q?A_Smoking_Cursor=3F_New_Window_Opens_on_China?=
From: InfoSec News <alerts () infosecnews ! org>
Date: 2011-08-25 11:13:32
Message-ID: alpine.DEB.2.02.1108250613190.6998 () infosecnews ! org
[Download RAW message or body]
http://www.chinasignpost.com/2011/08/a-smoking-cursor-new-window-opens-on-china%E2%80% \
99s-potential-cyberwarfare-development-cctv-7-program-raises-new-questions-about-beijing%E2%80%99s-support-for-hacking/
By Andrew Erickson and Gabe Collins
China SignPost
24 August 2011
The positions expressed here are the authors' personal views. They do
not represent the U.S. Naval War College, Navy, Department of Defense,
or Government, and do not necessarily reflect the policies or estimates
of these or any other organizations.
Amid growing U.S. concerns of ongoing Chinese cyberattacks, attribution
remains the most complex issue. At the open source level at least, it
has been hard to find a "smoking cursor." That is, until the broadcast
of a recent cyberwarfare program on the military channel of China's
state television network. It appeared to show dated computer screenshots
of a Chinese military institute conducting a rudimentary type of
cyberattack against a United States-based dissident entity. However
modest, ambiguous -- and, from China's perspective, defensive -- this is
possibly the first direct piece of visual evidence from an official
Chinese government source to undermine Beijing's official claims never
to engage in overseas hacking of any kind for government purposes.
Clearly, Washington and Beijing have much to discuss candidly here if
they are to avoid dangerous strategic tension.
What Happened?
China Central Television 7 (CCTV-7) is China's official channel for
military and agricultural issues. As part of its wide-ranging coverage,
every Saturday at 1440-1500 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), CCTV-7 runs a
20-minute program on military S&T developments in China and abroad
called "Military Science and Technology." It's always worth watching,
given the range of timely topics covered and the detailed analyses
offered by Chinese specialists. The 16 July 2011 edition was
particularly so.
Entitled "The Internet Storm is Coming" (网络风暴来了), as pictured
above in a CCTV-7 website screenshot, it begins with a broad discussion
of cyberattacks. It highlights a statement by then-U.S. Secretary of
Defense Robert M. Gates at the Shangri-La Dialogue in Singapore on 4
June 2011. This important international conference was also attended by
Gates' Chinese counterpart General Liang Guanglie. Emphasizing that the
U.S. was extremely concerned about the cyberattacks that it was
continually suffering from, Gates suggested that some attacks could rise
to the level of an act of war and prompt the U.S. to respond with
force.[1]
PRC Military expert Du Wenlong (pictured above) then highlights
President Obama's May 2009 remarks in which he emphasized the importance
of securing the nation's digital infrastructure and declared it a
strategic national asset. Du explains that Washington would regard some
types of cyberattacks as acts of war because modern military operations
rely heavily on digital networks and cyberspace: "networks have become
the basis for military action and for winning a war."[2] Du appears to
be well acquainted with his subject matter, and provides cogent
explanations of complex cyber issues. The program proceeds to explain
how cyberwarfare may be waged, in both the defensive and offensive
dimensions.
[...]
_____________________________________________________________
Register now for the #HITB2011KUL - Asia's premier
deep-knowledge network security event now in it's 9th year!
http://conference.hitb.org/hitbsecconf2011kul/
[prev in list] [next in list] [prev in thread] [next in thread]
Configure |
About |
News |
Add a list |
Sponsored by KoreLogic