Australian Government Networks Fall Prey to Chinese Hackers

Chinese cyber criminals have initiated numerous premeditated strikes on very secret Australian Government's network of computers. This cyber warfare is supposed to be a component of organized global espionage system to garner intelligence information from the western world, inducing an internal audit of computer security by Senior Australian intelligence agency.

As per the Australian intelligence, Chinese government is allegedly applying high-tech hacking skills to garner data on a variety of matters involving classified military information and the cost Australian firms will expect for natural resources like coal, natural gas and iron ore.

Australian intelligence reports are supposed to be regarding a rising degree of corporate espionage aimed at regional firms. The deliberate cyber strikes are said to have taken place at the close of 2007, but were not successful in harvesting any classified data.

The efforts were not essentially malevolent, but only ordinary undercover work intended to receive a benefit. It's vital to know that this isn't a direct threat designed to subvert the government, and neither this is a deliberate attempt to obstruct or bring government action into disrepute, stated a Canberra-located intelligence source, as reported on February 10, 2008 by Theage. However, the cyber-terrorists are trying hard to glean the classified information that the different states would want to know.

But the Chinese government representatives have repudiated allegations that Beijing had endorsed any cyber intelligence work against Australian authorities.

Moreover, a spokesperson of the Department of Defense would not corroborate or reject the current cyber strikes on important government bodies, while a spokesperson of Chinese government negated that computer generated espionage had been approved against any Australian authorities.

Furthermore, the senior intelligence officials declared that the Australian government will invest $70 Million in 2008 to enhance IT safety, an amount that could be rise after the fresh wave of cybercrimes.

In December 2007 also, there were similar reports regarding cyber crimes made by the global antivirus package and computer security firm McAfee Inc, affirming that Federal government computer networks in Australia, Germany, India, New Zealand, and the US had been hacked. The Chinese have openly declared that they are engaging in virtual-espionage practices.

McAfee also projected that increase in cyber espionage would be one of the key online menaces in 2008. Therefore, around 120 countries world over were developing cyber warfare campaigns.

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» SPAMfighter News - 2/18/2008