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CNA: Pentagon Said Lenovo Products May Bring Network Hacking Risks

Taiwan’s primary news organization Central News Agency (CNA) recently reported, based on an article that appeared in the Washington Free Beacon, about the risks that may accompany the Chinese computer manufacturer Lenovo. The J-2 Intelligence Directorate, which reports to the U.S. Joint Chiefs and the Secretary of Defense, issued an internal warning that the U.S. military officials responsible for network security were concerned that purchasing Lenovo computers and cell phones may increase the risk of bringing network attacks into the U.S. military systems. J-2 also warned that Lenovo has attempted to get into the U.S. military network via acquiring U.S. vendors in the information industry. One U.S. official mentioned that Lenovo products were caught earlier secretly sending information to external individuals. Lenovo (U.S.) spokesperson Ray Gorman said he was not aware that the Joint Chiefs were paying attention to this matter. The spokesperson for the Joint Chiefs, Greg Hicks, refused to comment on individual reports. The Pentagon said the Department of Defense does not have a black list of suppliers.

Sources: Central News Agency, October 24, 2016
http://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/201610240422-1.aspx
Washington Free Beacon, October 24, 2016
http://freebeacon.com/national-security/military-warns-chinese-computer-gear-poses-cyber-spy-threat/

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology US-China Relations

Xinhua: Chinese Online Crimes Spread across Borders

Xinhua recently reported from the Fourth China Internet Security Conference that research showed online criminal activities are getting more and more pervasive and are spreading across borders. What is called the "Online Dark Industry" has established an entire “industrial profit chain” reaching a revenue volume of RMB 100 billion (around US$15 billion). Many Chinese online criminals have been setting up phishing sites in Europe and the United States and have conducted different types of fraud back in China. While the cross-country investigations are highly limited due to a lack of cooperation among governments, research has shown that the international online crime rate has increased by 80 to 100 percent over the past couple of years. The study pointed out that the Chinese “Online Dark Industry” had 1.6 million “workers” as of the end of 2015. Most of the activities in this “industry” involve stealing personal information. More and more damage has been seen in the banking industry as well as in the stock market. Experts are calling for a global joint effort to battle these online threats.
Source: Xinhua, August 17, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/fortune/2016-08/17/c_129235090.htm
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

FT Chinese: China’s “People’s Daily” and UK MailOnline Swap Contents – up to 40 Stories a Week

On August 15, 2016, British Financial Times Chinese published an article titled “People’s Daily and British MailOnline Share Contents.” People’s Daily is the Chinese Communist Party’s official propaganda mouthpiece. MailOnline, which is under Britain’s Daily Mail, is very popular for gossip type news and famous right-wing views (236 million unique visitors and 15.1 million daily visitors). A new partnership between People’s Daily and MailOnline has been established, which enables both papers to exchange up to 40 articles per week. 

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Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

C’ Member: Windows 10 Trusted Computing Is a Serious Threat

Well-known Chinese news site NetEase recently reported that Shen Changxiang, member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE), mentioned in a conference keynote address that Windows 10’s Trusted Computing technology should be considered a serious threat to China’s network security. Shen, along with a few other CAE members, expressed the belief that Windows 10’s built-in Trusted Computing deployment will completely eliminate the opportunity for China’s Trusted Computing industry to obtain any sizable market. Shen said China must have its own localized Trusted Computing industry which can provide self-sufficient production of digital certification and encryption equipment. Shen revealed that China “resisted” state procurement of Windows 8 and enhanced the national firewall against Windows XP. Now for Windows 10, China is “taking advantage of WTO rules” to utilize China’s domestic laws to constrain or inspect non-domestic products. He also discussed the weakness of China’s Trusted Computing systems.
Source: NetEase, August 5, 2016
http://tech.163.com/16/0805/11/BTMVH3PB00097U7T.html
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Expert: None of the Air Quality Detectors Sold in the Chinese Market Are Reliable

Xinhua carried an article reporting on the use of PM 2.5 detectors. [Editor’s note: PM 2.5 is particulate matter with a diameter of 2.5 micrometers or less. Referred to as "fine" particulates, they are believed to pose the largest health risk.] According to an expert, none of the PM 2.5 detectors for home use that test air quality and are sold at China’s markets are reliable. The article stated that there are several hundred types of detectors sold on the market; the cost ranges from 100 yuan or less to several thousand. Both their accuracy and their reliability, however, are questionable. In a test discussed in the article, two different brands of detector gave two different results. The article also quoted the expert as saying that the state has not provided standard specifications for the air quality detectors in general; nor has the industry.

Source: Xinhua, July 25, 2016
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2016-07/25/c_129174055.htm

Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Chinese Mobile Advertising Vendor Made Widespread Android Malware

Well-known Chinese IT news site ITHome reported on a widespread Android mobile malware called HummingBad. Its findings were based on research results that the leading U.S. information security company Check Point published. The Chinese mobile advertisement delivery vendor Yingmob made the HummingBad malware which has reportedly infected over ten million Android mobile phones. Over 50 Android mobile apps have HummingBad implanted that have delivered 20 million ads daily. This has generated a monthly revenue of US$300,000 for Yingmob. Technical experts have warned that the spread of the malicious HummingBad software could be used to do worse damage by stealing data on the mobile devices. [Editor’s note: According major U.S. technology news provider ZDNet, HummingBad has now infected 85 million Android devices across the globe.]
Source: ITHome, July 5, 2016
http://www.ithome.com.tw/news/106960
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Xinhua: Sunway TaihuLight Became World’s Fastest Supercomputer

Xinhua recently reported that the TOP500 Organization, headquartered in Germany, ranked the new Chinese supercomputer Sunway TaihuLight the fastest in the world. The number two supercomputer is also Chinese, named MilkyWay-2. This is the first time China has more supercomputers (167) on the list than the United States (165). This is also the first time China made a supercomputer that uses all domestically designed and manufactured processors. Previous Chinese supercomputers all used U.S.-made key processors. The Sunway TaihuLight is two times faster and three times more efficient than the MilkyWay-2. The new supercomputer is deployed in the Wuxi Supercomputing Center in Jiangsu Province. Also among the top 10 supercomputers, four are from the United State. Japan, Switzerland, Germany and Saudi Aribia each have one. Supercomputers are playing a more and more important role in the fields of energy, medicine, airplane manufacturing, automobile and entertainment.
Source: Xinhua, June 20, 2016
http://www.xinhuanet.com/tech/zt1300.htm
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology

Cuba Lifted Ban on Google and Facebook

Major Hong Kong newspaper Apple Daily recently reported that Cuba announced its decision to lift its ban on Google and Facebook. Google also announced a willingness to assist Cuba in providing free Internet access. Chinese mainstream media did not report this news, but on Mainland social media, it quickly triggered a nationwide discussion. The biggest topic was that there are only two countries left in the world that still ban Google and Facebook – North Korea and China. To avoid having the Chinese authorities delete their postings, many Chinese netizens “protested the world’s attempt to isolate China from using Google.” Some expressed their “concerns” about the possibility that “North Korea might undergo a reform at any moment.” The primary Chinese search engine is Baidu, of which the Chinese government is a partial sponsor; the government actively filters it for censored content.
Source: Apple Daily, June 15, 2016
http://www.appledaily.com.tw/realtimenews/article/new/20160615/885948/
Briefings | | |   Information/Technology