"It is irresponsible for the Canadian side to make groundless accusations against China when there is no credible evidence," said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang in a statement on Thursday.
"We are strongly opposed to that," he said.
His comments came in response to a question regarding a statement released by the Treasury Board of the Canadian government saying a highly sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored actor had managed to hack into the computer systems at Canada's National Research Council.
"The Chinese government consistently opposes criminal activities of all forms aimed at sabotaging the Internet and computer networks, and has been firmly cracking down on such activities," Qin said.
"We urge the Canadian side to correct its mistakes, stop making baseless accusations and remove the negative impacts incurred by its statement," said the spokesman.
Sources: Xinhua - globaltimes.cn
31/7/14
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- Canada must “stop making baseless accusations and redress the negative impacts” of its claims that the Chinese government is behind a cyberattack on the National Research Council, China’s foreign ministry said Thursday.
The Chinese government “consistently opposes criminal activities” aimed at sabotaging computer networks, “and has been cracking down on such activities firmly,” Foreign Ministry spokesperson Qin Gang said in response to a reporter’s question about Canada’s claims.
“It is irresponsible for the Canadian side to make groundless accusations against China when there is no credible evidence. We are strongly opposed to that. We urge the Canadian side to correct their mistakes, stop making baseless accusations and redress the negative impacts incurred by their statement.”
The statement comes two days after the NRC confirmed a CTV News report that a “highly sophisticated Chinese state-sponsored actor” had targeted the agency’s computer systems over the last month.
NRC president John McDougall said that the “highly sophisticated” cyberattack may have compromised employees’ personal information and client data, including scientific and industrial trade secrets.
The NRC is Canada’s leading science and technology agency. It conducts research into satellites, space and industrial innovations, and genetically modified foods, among other areas.
Any information contained in the agency’s computer systems “may have been compromised,” McDougall told employees on Tuesday. Employees were told not to plug memory sticks, smartphones or tablets into their computers.
“We’re now accelerating our previously planned work to create a new, better, stronger and more secure IT infrastructure,” McDougall said.
As a precaution, the NRC’s computer networks have been isolated from the government’s IT network, the Treasury Board said.
“We have no evidence that data compromises have occurred on the broader Government of Canada network," a Treasury Board statement said Tuesday. The agency added that it could take security experts up to a year before a more secure computer system could be put in place.
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird, who was on a three-country tour through Asia earlier this week, raised the matter with his counterpart in Beijing during “full and frank discussions,” CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife reported on Tuesday.
This is not the first time Chinese hackers have penetrated Canadian government computers. They have previously targeted the Finance department, the Treasury Board, the Bank of Canada, and even the email accounts of members of Parliament.
With a report from CTV’s Ottawa Bureau Chief Robert Fife
http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/china-says-canada-must-stop-making-baseless-accusations-1.1940191
31/7/14
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A highly sophisticated cyberattack against Canada's National Research Council infiltrated a system that contained personal information, the privacy commissioner's office said Thursday...
ReplyDeleteCanadian officials have put the blame on the attack on the Chinese government.
The privacy commissioner was first informed of a security breach on July 23 and was told on Monday that the personal data was in fact exposed.......Read more: http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/chinese-cyberattack-infiltrated-system-holding-personal-data-1.1940191#ixzz394fGPq6A
31/7/14
US Senate Report Accuses China of More Cyber Hacking ...
ReplyDeleteU.S. Senate investigators say Chinese government hackers have repeatedly broken into computer networks of airlines, technology and other companies hired by the Pentagon.
A Senate Armed Services Committee report released Thursday accused the Chinese hackers of targeting civilian companies the U.S. military uses to transfer troops and equipment around the world.
The report, which was based on a year-long investigation, identified at least 20 intrusions known as "advanced persistent threats," complicated and stealthy attacks usually attributed to governments.
Senator Carl Levin, the committee chairman, called intrusions "very disturbing" and "more evidence of China's aggressive actions in cyberspace." China has not responded to the report.
The allegations are likely to further strain U.S.-China relations. Beijing has furiously rejected past accusations that its hackers broke into U.S. companies and government targets.
In May, the U.S. indicted five Chinese military members on charges of hacking into and stealing trade secrets from the computers of several large American nuclear, metal and solar companies.
In the report declassified Thursday, Senate investigators found that the companies, which were not named, failed to report the intrusions to U.S. defense officials, as required. It said U.S. government agencies also failed to share the information on the attacks among themselves.
Senator Jim Inhofe proposed forming a "central clearinghouse" that would help the companies better report hacking attempts, so that the U.S. military's mission readiness is not compromised.
http://www.voanews.com/content/us-senate-report-china-cyber-hacking/2453795.html
18/9/14