4 ms·

Bruce Schneier on how US government surveillance enabled the Google/China attack

18 points by madars 17y ago

andrewcooke 17y ago
this is the first i've heard of the govt intercept backdoor and he doesn't give a reference. a quick google is turning up only references to this article. anyone have more details? edit: from reddit: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/google-and-china-the-attacks-and-their-aftermath.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/google-and-c... "Google's security team managed to penetrate one of the servers being used by the attackers, which was how the full extent of the attack—more than 30 companies—was revealed." and that points to this article: http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=28293 http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?ne... "Right before Christmas, it was, 'Holy s*, this malware is accessing the internal intercept [systems]" which seems to be the source of the "backdoor" details. that's also the source quoted here: http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100114_google_china_and_lawful_intercept/ http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100114_google_china_and_lawf... (nice article)
- bootload 17y ago
  "... this is the first i've heard of the govt intercept backdoor and he doesn't give a reference. a quick google is turning up only references to this article. anyone have more details? ..." You probably wont read about this in the regular "open source" press. There are other sources you can scour. My favourite source is Janes ~ http://www.janes.com/news/ http://www.janes.com/news/ Another is IHS ~ http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/Perspective/PerspectiveOverviewForService684.htm http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/Perspective/PerspectiveOverv... which is a supplier to Janes. Business is interested in specialist news and analysis for risk and strategic reasons and are available for purchase. Hint: you can scan the headlines and extracts to gain some insight into what's going on. "Beijing's censorship of the internet", John Hill, 2006 "... An OpenNet Initiative study reported consistent blocking of certain websites, such as those relating to the Falun Gong, the BBC, or Tibetan or Taiwanese independence. They considered that their results "demonstrate that China's blocking of sensitive content…. is extensive". ..." ~ http://www.janes.com/security/law_enforcement/news/jir/jir060203_1_n.shtml http://www.janes.com/security/law_enforcement/news/jir/jir06... The China/Allied cyber war activities is not new. Estonia, 2007 then South Korea 2009 ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberwarfare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberwarfare highlighted the vulnerability of nation states but for Western countries the attacks have been primarily business and defence. For a more specialised insight into Chinese network intrusion you might want to visit http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/ http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/ a site setup by Scott J. Henderson (US Army Ret.) which focuses specifically on China and cracking. To look the other side you might want to read about the "Honker Union" ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honker_Union http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honker_Union
  - andrewcooke 17y ago
    thanks, but i should have been clearer; i meant that was the first time i had heard that the backdoor was used in the attack.
deleted 17y ago
[deleted]
d2viant 17y ago
I thought the attackers were exploiting Internet Explorer vulnerabilities. Does anyone have the specifics of how U.S. intercept requirements aided in this?

18 points by madars 17y ago

this is the first i've heard of the govt intercept backdoor and he doesn't give a reference. a quick google is turning up only references to this article. anyone have more details? edit: from reddit: http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/google-and-china-the-attacks-and-their-aftermath.ars http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2010/01/google-and-c... "Google's security team managed to penetrate one of the servers being used by the attackers, which was how the full extent of the attack—more than 30 companies—was revealed." and that points to this article: http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?newsid=28293 http://www.macworld.co.uk/digitallifestyle/news/index.cfm?ne... "Right before Christmas, it was, 'Holy s*, this malware is accessing the internal intercept [systems]" which seems to be the source of the "backdoor" details. that's also the source quoted here: http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100114_google_china_and_lawful_intercept/ http://www.circleid.com/posts/20100114_google_china_and_lawf... (nice article)

bootload 17y ago
"... this is the first i've heard of the govt intercept backdoor and he doesn't give a reference. a quick google is turning up only references to this article. anyone have more details? ..." You probably wont read about this in the regular "open source" press. There are other sources you can scour. My favourite source is Janes ~ http://www.janes.com/news/ http://www.janes.com/news/ Another is IHS ~ http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/Perspective/PerspectiveOverviewForService684.htm http://www.ihsglobalinsight.com/Perspective/PerspectiveOverv... which is a supplier to Janes. Business is interested in specialist news and analysis for risk and strategic reasons and are available for purchase. Hint: you can scan the headlines and extracts to gain some insight into what's going on. "Beijing's censorship of the internet", John Hill, 2006 "... An OpenNet Initiative study reported consistent blocking of certain websites, such as those relating to the Falun Gong, the BBC, or Tibetan or Taiwanese independence. They considered that their results "demonstrate that China's blocking of sensitive content…. is extensive". ..." ~ http://www.janes.com/security/law_enforcement/news/jir/jir060203_1_n.shtml http://www.janes.com/security/law_enforcement/news/jir/jir06... The China/Allied cyber war activities is not new. Estonia, 2007 then South Korea 2009 ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberwarfare http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cyberwarfare highlighted the vulnerability of nation states but for Western countries the attacks have been primarily business and defence. For a more specialised insight into Chinese network intrusion you might want to visit http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/ http://www.thedarkvisitor.com/ a site setup by Scott J. Henderson (US Army Ret.) which focuses specifically on China and cracking. To look the other side you might want to read about the "Honker Union" ~ http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honker_Union http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Honker_Union
- andrewcooke 17y ago
  thanks, but i should have been clearer; i meant that was the first time i had heard that the backdoor was used in the attack.

deleted 17y ago

[deleted]

d2viant 17y ago

I thought the attackers were exploiting Internet Explorer vulnerabilities. Does anyone have the specifics of how U.S. intercept requirements aided in this?