Hackers Target Australian Diplomats in Fake E-mail Scam

Australian diplomats have received a warning about a fake e-mail amidst fear that it could be a part of cyber espionage attempt from China.

According to an internal Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade briefing, a number of Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) officers found a bogus e-mail in their inboxes, which had probably been sent in the week began on July 12. This event took place just after a week when an executive of international iron company Rio Tinto had been arrested in the bribery case.

The fake e-mail claimed that it had come from ''a senior Commonwealth Public Service officer'', with the subject line - ''Australia-China Free Trade Agreement Negotiations Update''.

After complete examination of suspicious e-mail, DFAT's diplomatic security branch circulated an urgent warning among its staff members that such e-mails could be embedded with harmful viruses which could steal sensitive information from desktops or even disrupt the their functions.

The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade revealed that it had warned all the staff members about suspicious e-mail in the month of July, but the source of the e-mail still under investigation to nab people behind this malicious activity.

While the antivirus systems installed in the department are meant to detect and block malicious codes, the branch has accepted that they could not be trusted to capture newly released viruses. Thus, DFAT officers were informed that they should remain vigilant while checking e-mails of suspicious characteristics.

DFAT experts further said that the content and format of the e-mail gave an indication that it had been designed to steal important information from the department computers.

In the present case, an internal briefing told DFAT staff about the e-mail, with instructions to avoid opening it.

Security and intelligence organization have shown great concerns over the rising incidences of cyber espionage. The Head of the Australian Security Intelligence Organization also warned that online state secrets were facing a risk of being stolen by foreign countries and non-state entities.

Furthermore, cyber criminals have been increasingly targeting Australian websites. Similarly, a Chinese attack crashed down the website of Australian Film Festival in the first week of August.

Related article: Hackers Redirect Windows Live Search to Malicious Sites

» SPAMfighter News - 9/7/2009