Posts tagged China at Switched

Posts with tag China

Going to the Olympics? Your Cell Phone or Computer Could Be at Risk

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 4:41PM

National security agencies are warning American officials and businesses to take extra precautions with the data (addresses, documents, etc) on their cell phones and laptops while in China for the Olympics. In the past year, China has shown its desire to infiltrate American networks in order to steal government and industry secrets, and agencies are warning that it will be very easy for it to do so with all of the electronic gadgets coming into the country.

"There is a high likelihood -- virtually 100% -- that if an individual is of security, political, or business interest to Chinese...security services or high-tech industries," says U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission chairman,"then their electronics can and will be tampered with or penetrated."

China, of course, denies the charges of espionage, but it's hard to ignore the country's long history of espionage. Security experts warn that even if your laptop never leaves your side, you should have it checked out for bugs and malicious software up your return and before connecting it to an American network. [Source: USA Today]

Congressmens' PCs Infiltrated By Chinese Hackers?

by Tim Stevens, posted Jun 12th 2008 at 11:33AM

Chinese Hackers Infiltrating Government PCs?

Back in the '50s and '60s, there were widespread fears about Russian communists infiltrating our government and subverting our way of life. These days, we'd like to think we're beyond such paranoia, but claims made by two Congressmen harken back to those Cold War days. Virginia Representative Frank Wolf and New Jersey Representative Chris Smith are both saying that their PCs have been infiltrated by state-sponsored Chinese hackers in an apparent attempt to track down the names and addresses of dissidents.

Wolf and Smith have been very critical of China's human rights history, which is why they believe they've been targeted. They indicate files on their machines were infiltrated way back in 2006 and early 2007, but say they were discouraged by unnamed government officials from talking about the incident until now. They also indicate that, after the name and address of a dissident near Washington was accessed, a car with Chinese official plates drove to the house and took photographs.

This isn't the first time we've heard claims of Chinese hacking of government computers, but the talk of Chinese officials snooping around sounds like borderline paranoia to us. Just the same, it's disturbing that government PCs with sensitive information could be this easy to crack, and that they'd sit on that information for nearly two years. Here's hoping they've upgraded their firewalls since then. [Source: The Register]

Chinese Premier "Joins" Facebook

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 28th 2008 at 8:55AM

Everyone else is on Facebook, so why shouldn't the Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao be there too? The Communist Party politician, affectionately known as Grandpa Wen, has inspired someone to create a Facebook profile for him, listing his interests as baseball and Chinese literature. Wen has enjoyed particular esteem from touring the Sichuan Province in the aftermath of the devastating earthquake, consoling and grieving with survivors. His popularity as the face of national mourning is already showing online -- in the two weeks since the profile's creation, Wen has already amassed more "supporters" than President Bush.

Wen is far from the first politician to have a fake profile created for them. Barack Obama made headlines when he took over a popular MySpace profile maintained by a supporter, and a Moroccan man, Fouad Mourtada, garnered global attention when he was arrested for impersonating the country's Prince online. [Source: CNN]

FBI Warns of Chinese Earthquake E-Mail Scam

by Terrence O'Brien, posted May 22nd 2008 at 11:35AM

Anytime something terrible happens in the world, there is always some jerk looking to make a buck off of other people's sympathy and good will.

So keep alert, as you're bound to get at least a few e-mails soliciting donations to aide victims of the recent earthquake in China that has claimed the lives of 50,000 and climbing. The FBI on Wednesday offered the following list of tips to avoid getting scammed, many of which we've covered before, but it never hurts to review:

Do not respond to unsolicited (spam) e-mail.
Be skeptical of individuals representing themselves as officials soliciting via e-mail for donations.
Do not click on links contained within an unsolicited e-mail.
Be cautious of e-mail claiming to contain pictures in attached files, as the files may contain viruses. Only open attachments from known senders.
To ensure contributions are received and used for intended purposes, make contributions directly to recognized organizations rather than relying on others to make the donation on your behalf.
Validate the legitimacy of the organization by directly accessing the recognized charity or aid organization's website rather than following an alleged link to the site.
Attempt to verify the legitimacy of the nonprofit status of the organization by using various Internet-based resources, which also may assist in confirming the actual existence of the organization.
Do not provide personal or financial information to anyone who solicits contributions: providing such information may compromise your identity and expose you to identity theft.

And remember, most of the above tips are applicable to pretty much any e-mail scam, so hold on to them! [Source: NBC News]

China Closing Down All Non-Earthquake-Covering Web Sites and TV Shows

by Evan Shamoon, posted May 20th 2008 at 12:17PM

Chinese media mavens, get ready to be kinda bored: According Marc van der Chijs, CEO of Spill Group Asia and co-founder of Todou.com, the Chinese government has issued orders that all entertainment Web sites and regular television programming be shut down for the next three days. Apparently, only Web sites and television stations covering the country's recent earthquake will be allowed to remain live.

The news was leaked yesterday by van der Chijs via social messaging Web site, Twitter. Probably gonna make for some depressing television watching (there's really so much earthquake damage one can watch), but you can't really argue with respect. [Source: Blourge]

China Will Block Internet During Olympics, But Will Go Easy On Pirates

by Tim Stevens, posted May 8th 2008 at 10:50AM

China Will Block Internet During Olympics, Not Pirates

Despite having the highest number of online users in the world, China is still one of the most strict censors of the Internet. In the build-up to the Olympic Games in Beijing this summer, the nation has been talking about the easy availability of Internet access for the media covering the games, but now it's backing away from pledges of "complete freedom," indicating that some sites will continue to be censored.

So, the media may find themselves blocked from some sites while in the country, but, in an ironic twist, the Chinese government is also saying that it's unable to block those selling Olympic-themed memorabilia. Officials have complained about seeing vendors openly selling knockoff shirts and mascots (along with pirated copies of Hollywood movies and the like) on street corners in Beijing. The government has fined a number of them recently, but is indicating it is powerless to stop it completely.

So, between the censorship and bionic swimming suits, it's certainly shaping up to be an interesting Olympics, and we haven't even started talking about the competitors yet! [Source: Reuters]

World's Highest Wi-Fi Hotspot Now On Mt. Everest

by Will Safer, posted May 7th 2008 at 9:57AM

Admit it. You've tapped into a neighbor's Wi-Fi, siphoning off a little bandwidth for free so you can check some e-mail or maybe just surf the Net for a bit. Of course, you could get your access on the up and up by going to a local Internet cafe -- but what do you do when you're attempting a shot at the top of the world?

China has the answer.

17,000 feet above sea level, at the base camp to Mount Everest, China Mobile has built a business office and Internet cafe. The Mount Qomolangma base camp provides mobile and Internet services to "government officials, mountain climbing members and journalists," reports China Daily.

The highest hotspot in the world was established to support the Olympic torch's journey across the so-called "rooftop of the world." The China Mobile office offers Wi-Fi access with remote payment, SIM change service and other basic services, "in addition to free film, vending machines and new business experience." China Mobile claims "about 40 to 50 people go to the office and Internet cafe every day to experience the services."

No word on the quality of their lattes. [Source: China Daily via CNET]

Move Over US, China Now Has the Most Internet Users (220M)

by Tim Stevens, posted Apr 21st 2008 at 10:20AM

China Becomes World Leader in Internet Usage

American scientists invented the Internet, so it might make sense that Americans have always been the most populous group surfing the digital byways. But this ranking changed at the end of last year, with statistics showing that China now has the most online citizens of any country in the world.

According to the study, China now has over 220 million users online, compared with 216 million U.S. surfers. The American figure includes a full 71% of the American population -- such high penetration is one of the big reasons that growth of online users here is slowing. That 220 million Chinese, however, represents only 17% of its population, which means that this gap is only going to keep growing. growing.

So, it seems, the beginning of an online culture shift is at hand. Get used to it! [Source: USA Today]

200-Million Spam Text Messages Hit Chinese Cell Phones

by Tim Stevens, posted Mar 25th 2008 at 1:39PM

Phone Spam Hits Nearly Half of Chinese Mobiles

There's little more irritating than getting spam text messages on your cell phone, especially when your plan has you stuck paying for each message that comes in.

Thankfully, phone spam is a fairly isolated problem here in the U.S. In China, however, it's another story entirely, as nearly half of all the cell phone users in the country recently got hit with a flood of spam text messages.

Last week, over 200-million spam messages were sent to subscribers of China's two largest mobile providers, China Mobile and China Unicom. The messages originated from seven different advertising firms, which took advantage of security lapses at the two service providers to send out the blasts. Those advertising firms have been apparently blocked from future spam attempts, but it remains to be seen whether they'll face prosecution or not.

Here's hoping.

From BBC News

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Chinese Mobile Phone Has Two -Year Battery Life

by Will Safer, posted Mar 24th 2008 at 3:19PM

Chinese cell phone with two-year battery life.

Battery life is often the determining factor when we buy consumer electronics products. How does a cell phone with two years of stand-by time sound to you?

A new phone out of China promises just that, giving you two years of stand-by time and two to three days of active talking time -- all without plugging the phone into the charger even once.

You may be thinking this device, Solo Mobi model number ZJ268, would be nothing more than a big battery with a keypad, but the handset actually has Bluetooth support, slots for two SIM cards, keypad AND handwriting input, and MP3 playback capability. The Solo Mobi also has plenty of standard phone applications like calendar, task list, and (of course) a contact list.

The 32800 mAh battery is rated by the manufacturer to operate for 666 days in standby mode, which blows away anything else we've seen on the market.

As best we can tell from the manufacturer Web site, the basic cost of the phone is $128. According to the specifications, it does come with a charger -- but why would you need one?

The good news is that if you can get your hands on one -- either by going to China and buying one or finding it for sale online -- you'll be able to use it with ay T-Mobile or AT&T Wireless SIM card.

From Textually.org.

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China Blocks YouTube Access Over Tibet Protest Videos

by Will Safer, posted Mar 17th 2008 at 1:26PM

The flag of the People's Republic of China

The free flow of information is one of the basic rights those in open societies claim as an advantage over those who live in closed societies, and one right many Web surfers may take for granted. Case in point: if you lived in China right now, you'd find your access to YouTube denied as that country attempts to block its sizable population from viewing videos of recent demonstrations in Tibet's capital city of Lhasa.

China blocked access to the popular video site over the weekend as video images captured on cell phone cameras were posted of people protesting the Chinese government's control over the smaller Asian country.

While people around the world have been following the news of the Tibetan protests, Internet users in China, who number more than 210 million, have found only a blank page when they try to call up YouTube on their browsers. While China does encourage its people to use the internet for education and information exchange, there is also a fair amount of censorship in place. At its most basic level, pornography is blocked but also images and information that runs counter to government policy can also find itself beyond the reach of most Chinese citizens.

China has been trying to balance control with the recognized need for growth of the online industry. The country briefly sought to limit online video sharing to only state-owned companies but concern over stifling a valuable and growing industry moved the government to let private companies continue their operations – with strict guidelines, however, over content.

From AOL Money.

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China Shut Down 44,000 Pornograpy Sites in 2007

by Terrence O'Brien, posted Jan 23rd 2008 at 12:16PM

China Shutdown 44,000 Pornography Sites Last Year

The Chinese government went Web-site-censoring crazy last year. According to the official state media Xinhua News Agency, China shut down over 44,000 Web sites and arrested 868 people for Internet pornography. The shutdowns and arrests were part of a crackdown on Internet pornography that had "perverted China's young minds," according to China's Public Security Ministry.

Despite the massive number of site closings and arrests, China has struggled to block the offending content (see the related links below for more on China's efforts in 2007). The Internet by its very nature is open and almost impossible to control. Whether China is attempting to block pornography, online gaming, or political dissent, it's likely to fail over time with any censoring eforts.

From Newsvine

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China Cracking Down On Online Games

by Evan Shamoon, posted Jan 17th 2008 at 3:40PM

Once the Chinese government gets its mitts on your industry, you're in trouble. Their newest target? Online games.

The government is issuing a set of new rules meant to crack down on what it calls "undesirable" elements of online games, mainly MMO-style affairs. All the hysteria stems from fears of growing Internet addiction which, as anyone with a level 60 Night Elf knows all to well, doesn't do a whole lot for productivity.

According to an Xinhua news agency, the number of online gamers in China rose 23 percent to 40.17 million last year. Regular subscribers, which accounted for over for over half the players, rose a rather staggering 30 percent.

Um, we blame their parents?

From Reuters

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'Lust, Caution' Sets Off Frenzy of Virus and Anti-Sex Warnings

by Tim Stevens, posted Nov 20th 2007 at 12:39PM

It wasn't all that long ago that director Ang Lee was opening eyes and pushing boundaries with 'Brokeback Mountain,' a film about sweaty cowboy man love. Now he's back with another controversial film, but this one's stirring up a different sort of controversy, this time in China. The hullabaloo features an interesting mix of warnings from a variety of sources, including both physicians and computer scientists who are all urging caution in viewing the film.

The first warning appears to be intended to stop Chinese computer users from downloading illegal copies of the film. A Chinese anti-virus company is saying that those copies of the film that can be found online come with a virus. The firm isn't detailing just what virus it is, but says the virus contains code to snag user passwords.

The second warning comes from Chinese physicians who warn that the ... erm ... extreme sexual positions demonstrated in the uncensored version of the film (which is seven minutes longer than the heavily censored version shown in China) rely on "abnormal body positions." They advise that only women with "comparatively flexible bodies that have gymnastics or yoga experience" dare try them, or risk "unnecessary physical harm."

We're not sure how much of these examples are sound warnings from concerned experts, and how much is a sort of combo smear-campaign against both illegal downloading and illicit films. We here in America think that if you're planning on seeing this film -- and we don't recommend it since it's likely to be an illegal copy -- you should fire up your virus scanner and either do a few stretches, or call up that gymnast you dated in college.

From Reuters

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Chinese Man Hacks Lottery System, Gets Life in Prison

by Evan Shamoon, posted Nov 8th 2007 at 9:07AM

Note to self: Next visit to China, don't try rigging the lottery.

A Chinese lottery ticket seller has been sentenced to life in prison after taking advantage of a flaw in the system, which netted him 28 million yuan ($3.76 million) in tickets.

Basically, he figured out that a person can buy tickets with the right numbers within five minutes of their being announced -- and he did this many times over, according to sources at the Intermediate People's Court in Anshan, northeastern Heilongjiang province.

The 36 year-old man, Zhao Liqun, apparently "asked his neighbors and friends to cash the tickets at the Welfare Lottery Center and to bring back the money." No word on whether or not they get pinned as accomplices, but we're betting dollars to yuan they're not getting off scott free.

From Reuters

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Going to the Olympics? Your Cell Phone or Computer Could Be at Risk

Congressmens' PCs Infiltrated By Chinese Hackers?

Chinese Premier "Joins" Facebook

FBI Warns of Chinese Earthquake E-Mail Scam

China Closing Down All Non-Earthquake-Covering Web Sites and TV Shows

China Will Block Internet During Olympics, But Will Go Easy On Pirates

World's Highest Wi-Fi Hotspot Now On Mt. Everest

Move Over US, China Now Has the Most Internet Users (220M)

200-Million Spam Text Messages Hit Chinese Cell Phones

Chinese Mobile Phone Has Two -Year Battery Life

China Blocks YouTube Access Over Tibet Protest Videos

China Shut Down 44,000 Pornograpy Sites in 2007

China Cracking Down On Online Games

'Lust, Caution' Sets Off Frenzy of Virus and Anti-Sex Warnings

Chinese Man Hacks Lottery System, Gets Life in Prison

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