Massive Chinese Cyberspy Network Discovered

Canadian researchers at the University of Toronto’s Munk Centre for International Studies in conjunction with the SecDev Group and the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory have discovered a huge cyberspy network based in China and say it’s infiltrated more than 1,000 computer networks in over 100 countries. The investigation initially began as a look into whether the office of the Dalai Lama had been hacked and led to the shocking discovery of a malicious attack that has infiltrated more than 1,000 computer networks in over 100 countries.

In addition to the Dalai Lama’s office, infected computer systems were found at NATO headquarters, several embassies, the Associated Press, and the Ministries of Foreign Affairs in Indonesia, Iran, and the Philippines, and the office of the Prime Minister of Laos among others.

Dubbed GhostNet by the researchers, the cyberspying malware is able to completely control any computer it infects. It can search and download files, turn webcams and microphones on and off, and more. The suspicion that such a network existed and that China was behind it began when the Dalai Lama’s office sent a foreign diplomat an email inviting him to meet with the spiritual leader. Before the staff could follow up their invitation with a phone call, the diplomat received a warning from the Chinese government warning him not to accept the invite.

While China is denying any and all knowledge of such a network and claiming cybercrime is strictly forbidden by their government, they aren’t saying how they found out about the diplomat’s invitation or why they warned him to stay away.

It’s more crucial than ever to have the best security software you can buy and to make sure it is properly updated and maintain. The researchers said it’s not a question of, if, but when, businesses will face similar attacks:

The computer systems of businesses are almost certain to be hacked by similar means, if they have not been already, the experts claim.

“Social malware will be used for fraud, and the typical company really has no defense against it,” since it is so expensive and inconvenient, for example, to keep sensitive information or processes on computers with no Internet access. “We expect that many crooks will get rich before effective countermeasures are widely deployed.”

In this case, such inconvenience may be well more that worth it. You simply can not be too careful with your company’s data!