SAN FRANCISCO (Michael Liedtke AP)- Google Inc. will stop censoring its search results in China and may pull out of the country after discovering that computers hackers had tricked human rights activists into opening their e-mail accounts to outsiders.The change-of-heart announced Tuesday heralds a major shift for Google, which has repeatedly said it will obey Chinese laws that require some politically and socially sensitive issues to be blocked from search results that are available in other countries
Google disclosed in a blog post that it had detected a "highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate infrastructure originating from China." Further investigation revealed that "a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists," Google said in the post written by Chief Legal Officer David Drummond. {End of AP's Report}
Wade Burleson's question is simple: "What did China intend to do to the human rights activitists after the Chinese government cracked their Google email accounts?" It doesn't take much of an imagination to know it wouldn't have been pretty. The only way to deal with a bully is to punch him in the nose.
13 comments:
Official Google Blog > A new approach to China.
First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet, finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S. authorities.
Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to account information (such as the date the account was created) and subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or malware placed on the users' computers.
Official Google Enterprise Blog > Keeping your data safe.
Many corporations and consumers regularly come under cyber attack, and Google is no exception. We recently detected a cyber attack targeting our infrastructure and that of at least 20 other publicly listed companies. This incident was particularly notable for its high degree of sophistication. We believe Google Apps and related customer data were not affected by this incident. Please read more about our public response on the Official Google Blog.
Headline:
Oklahoma Pastor Advises Nosepunching.
:)
The only way to deal with a bully is to punch him in the nose.
I am afraid in this case it will be very difficult for the western countries to do that to China.
Why?
NYT > Op Ed > Thomas L. Freedman > Who’s Sleeping Now?.
Also, most of the great China firewall is being supplied by western companies.
I am afraid in this case of cyber espionage, both Russia, China and middle eastern countries are making great strides (investing heavily in both hardware and software to hack).
So in the case of China, how does one punish China? Given their immense clout due to manufacturing (just examine most household goods to see the label Made in China) and their buying of our securities.
I am afraid the US does not have lot of leverage here with China.
My thinking is that oppressive regimes have an inherent or inbuilt mechanism to die of suffocation. Open systems are more dynamic. Quasi Open/Closed systems as in China will make MAJOR blunders as the Russians have done during the Cold War, though in the Chinese case it will be more felt in the efficacy of their dynamism to adapt to changes. Though it looks like they are getting way ahead, the system IS being stifled by the Communist bureaucracy. Time will tell.
Some interesting cyber espionage links from the above Google post:
Capability of the People’s Republic of China to
Conduct Cyber Warfare and Computer Network Exploitation.
Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network.
Next steps in cyber security awareness.
Nart Villeneuve | Internet Censorship Explorer.
"'...The next time that bully pushes you down, here is what I want you to do--are you listening to me Blaine'? He nodded, his big wet eyes fixed on mine. 'I want you to get up...and I want you to hit him...as hard as you possibly can.' A look of embarrassed delight came over Blaine's face. Then he smiled...
...You cannot teach a boy to use his strenth by stripping him of it...You will emasculate him for life."
(John Eldredge, Wild at Heart, chapter 5)
:))
If you hate Scribd, as I do, another way to access the document:
Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network.
BREACHING TRUST: An analysis of surveillance and security practices on China’s TOM-Skype platform.
The above from Nart Villeneuve blog.
With all the qualifications people seem to put on the text, let me just ask you Kevin, since you're the latest to approve the opposite, is there ever a circumstance for actually following Jesus' statement to turn the other cheek?
Darby,
I was thinking of changing my fb pic to show the other side of my face.
Seriously though , are you asking to me to apply a biblical principle equally to every situation in life blindly? I think it is you who bears the burden of explaining why you feel the Words of our Lord apply to the extent of making all passivity biblical.
The above case was a little child. Eldredge now is responsible for all the teaching that follows. Like teaching when to walk away. But what a great childhood lesson. I can tell you from experience that I was taught to lay there and take it--or rather walk away. I would have gotten the belt at home had I punched back. I could write the book on irrational parenting. Eldredge knows what he is talking about. But as I was saying, the Chinese need to back off!
:)
EFF > Uncensoring China: Bravo Google.
You phony ba$tards. You are censoring searches. Christanity is... Muslim is....
Think we have a paper tiger here.
EFF > Google in China: Unanswered Questions.
NYT > The Lock That Says ‘Pick Me’.
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