Australia blames China as targeting its parliament with cyber attack

Reuters reports that Australian intelligence was able to find China as the culprit of a cyber assault against Australia's parliament along with 3 biggest political parties prior to May's general election.

On September 16, Reuters the international news agency reported that ASD (Australian Signals Directorate) discovered during March this year about the Ministry of State Security of the Chinese government being behind an advanced hack targeted against e-mail accounts of Members of Parliament as well as the networks belonging to 3 parties namely the Nationals, the Liberals and the Labor Party of Australia. Reuters gave reference of 5 sources whose identities are undisclosed on request considering the issue's sensitivity. www.smh.com.au posted this, September 16, 2019.

Australia's Department of Foreign Affair another source providing input to the report advised against revealing the findings so no disruption occurred in the country's trade matters with the Chinese capital Beijing. The government of Australia hasn't disclosed the precise entity responsible for the assault alternatively the report's details.

When Reuters put some questions to the office of PM Scott Morrison they declined to respond about the cyber assault, or the report's results, else if Australia in privacy discussed with China about the hack. ASD too didn't make any comment.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in China dismissed its government's involvement in the hacking assault as well as remarked that there were abundant theories on the Internet which could barely be tracked. During investigation and determination of online incidences' nature the facts claimed must follow with complete proofs, or else they were simply rumors that pinned indiscriminate labels on individuals. The ministry said China too was victimized with Internet attacks.

During February, Australia disclosed that hackers had compromised Australian parliament's network. Upon discovery of the hack, the Senate's President and the House of Representatives' Speaker told Australian lawmakers as well as their staff to reset their passwords on an emergency basis.

The cyber assault's timing which was just 3 months before the election in Australia as also following the cyber assault against USA's Democratic Party prior to the general election of 2016, all raised concerns about meddling with elections.

» SPAMfighter News - 9/18/2019