Security News

Beijing fingers foreign spies for data mischief, with help from consulting firm
2021-11-05 05:45

China's Ministry of State Security released details this week of three alleged security breaches that saw sensitive data illegally transferred abroad. State-sponsored Xinhua News Agency described the breaches as "Endangering the security of important data" and said by disclosing them, the Ministry sought to build awareness of non-traditional security and, by doing so, better maintain national security. The announcement, which deliberately coincides with the seventh anniversary of the country's anti-espionage law, described airline data stolen by an overseas intelligence agency, shipping data collected by a consulting firm that provided it to a foreign spy agency, and the construction of weather devices to transfer sensitive meteorological data abroad. It is unclear whether one or more foreign intelligence agencies conducted the alleged attacks, or if the actions were linked.

Beijing lashes USA's China Telecom ban – but quite gently
2021-11-04 01:57

China's Ministry of Industry and Information Technology has responded with mild indignation to the USA's decision to revoke the operating licence that allowed China Telcom to operate in the land of the free. In a Wednesday statement, the Ministry accused the USA of using national security as a pretext for banning Chinese companies, complained that evidence of China Telecom's alleged misdeeds has not been furnished, and that the ban breaches international trade rules.

Beijing twirls ban-hammer at 84 more apps it says need to stop slurping excess data
2021-05-12 05:19

China's Central Cyberspace Affairs Commission has named 84 apps it says breach local privacy laws and given their developers 15 days to "Rectify" their code. The Commission has posted two lists of apps it says need fixing, fast.

Indian defense chief admits China’s cyber-weapons would ‘disrupt large number of systems’ whenever Beijing presses the button
2021-04-08 04:14

The highest-ranked officer in India's armed forces has admitted that China has cyber-war capabilities that can overwhelm his nation's defenses and suggested that only cross-forces collaboration will get India to parity with its giant neighbor. General Bipin Rawat, a four-star general and since 2020 the first to hold a new role of chief of defense staff, offered that assessment yesterday in a talk hosted by Indian think tank the Vivekananda International Foundation.

Details of Beijing's new Hong Kong security law signal end to more than two decades of autonomy
2020-07-01 12:00

Chinese state security agencies will also operate in Hong Kong for the first time, and the local police force will be able to intercept communications and spy on suspects, with the approval of Hong Kong's chief executive. The legislation will apply not just within inside Hong Kong but overseas too, meaning foreign nationals who speak against Beijing could be prosecuted upon entering Hong Kong or mainland China.

This is not Huawei to reassure people about Beijing's spying eyes: Trivial backdoor found in HiSilicon's firmware for net-connected cams, recorders
2020-02-04 22:26

CCTV equipment maker Xiongmai effectively built a poorly hidden, insecure backdoor into potentially millions of surveillance devices, it is claimed. A hardware probester going by the name of Vladislav Yarmak alleged this week that China-based Xiongmai - best known for its wide-open security cameras - left a remote debugging and management tool in its firmware, which is used in network-connected surveillance video recorders.

It's 2019, and from Beijing to Blighty folk are still worried about slurp-happy apps
2019-01-03 10:16

Developers warned not to overindulge in personal data China's Internet Society chapter has warned local internet app-makers to tone down their collection of personal information.…

Uncle Sam accuses two Chinese men of hacking tech, aerospace, defense on behalf of Beijing
2018-12-20 20:42

Brits pile on, demanding 'these activities must stop' The US Justice Department on Thursday announced the criminal indictment of two men associated with the Chinese government on charges that the...

Guess who's back, back again? China's back, hacking your friends: Beijing targets American biz amid tech tariff tiff
2018-11-09 03:20

Everything little thing Xi does is magic, everything Xi do just turns me intrusion alarms on Three years after the governments of America and China agreed not to hack corporations in each other's...