The Chinese have been known to be experts at hacking for quite some time. But what might surprise some is that it's epidemic across the country in all levels of society.
China has been cited as allegedly hacking into U.S. government and corporate networks for years now. Generally, the thinking has been that the government is the only entity in the country actively hacking. But a new report seems to indicate that's not even close to the truth.
The News York Times on Thursday released a report on hacking across China. The Times found that not only does hacking occur at the highest levels of the government, but that everyone on down from local law enforcement officials to company owners to criminals are using their hacking techniques to take aim at citizens. Companies have even sprung up with the sole purpose of locating "anyone who spreads a rumor on the Internet."
Surprised? Here are just a few of the ways hacking has unfolded in China:
For its part, China has said that its government is not the hack-happy entity that the U.S. says it is. China has also said that the U.S. and other foreign governments have made attempts to hack into its own systems and networks. It appears, if nothing else, that it's a hack-centric world out there.