cyber-espionage

LAS VEGAS -- Researchers have uncovered a huge amount of malware and registered domains being used by criminals linked to China who are conducting cyber-espionage on a wide range of government, industry, and human rights activists.

The growing menace from these "Advanced Persistent Threats" is detailed in a report unveiled today called "Chasing APT." In an interview at the Black Hat security conference here, Joe Stewart, director of malware research at Dell Secureworks Counter Threat Unit, said that over the last 18 months he's been monitoring attacks designed to steal data from organizations around the … Read more

LAS VEGAS -- With all the intensity and sincerity of a drill sergeant rallying his troops to war, former FBI Executive Assistant Director Shawn Henry urged hackers to do their part to fight the biggest cybermenace out there: cadres of unknown attackers infiltrating government and corporate networks to steal data and potentially do worse.

"I implore all of you to be committed to your cause, because the stakes are too high. And I believe our failure to step up is a failure to society," Henry, wearing a business suit and sporting a shaved head, told the crowd during … Read more

The Flame worm that has targeted computers in the Middle East is being called "the most sophisticated cyberweapon yet unleashed" by Kaspersky Lab researchers who discovered it. Lurking on computers for at least five years, the malware has the ability to steal data, eavesdrop on conversations, and take screen captures of instant message exchanges, making it dangerous to any victim. But a possible link to malware found on computers in Iran's oil sector has experts saying it's got to be the work of a nation-state.

CNET talked with Roel Schouwenberg, senior researcher at Kaspersky, the company … Read more

Hackers based in China have carried out 90 attacks on targets in Japan, India, and Tibetan activists in a cyber-espionage campaign started last year, according to a report.

Trend Micro today released an analysis of the Luckycat campaign, which it traced back to a command-and-control center in China. The attacks are part of an organized effort, rather than random hacks, and have compromised 233 computers, according to the report.

The New York Times today reported the attacks can be traced back to a specific individual, a former graduate student in China who may have recruited others to work on the … Read more

On today's show, security researchers report that Anonymous and LulzSec are, if anything, just distracting us with their antics while the true threat is a years-long cyberwarfare campaign that's stolen everything from private intellectual property to high-level government secrets. So, that'll probably lead to some reasoned and logical cyber-security discussions, no? No. Also, is the Amazon App Store screwing developers, and are you finally getting what you pay for, broadband-wise?

Two U.S. congressmen who are longtime critics of China's human rights record have accused China of compromising computers that had information related to political dissidents.

Rep. Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican, says four of his computers were compromised beginning in 2006. New Jersey Republican Chris Smith said two of his computers used for the global human rights subcommittee in the House Foreign Affairs Committee were compromised in December 2006 and March 2007.

"My suspicion is that I was targeted by Chinese sources because of my long history of speaking out about China's abysmal human rights record,&… Read more