China Hat Tricks

October 2006
Chinese Internet servers launch attack against U.S.

Commerce Department computer system.Hackers operating through Chinese Internet servers have launched a debilitating attack on the computer system of a sensitive Commerce Department bureau, forcing it to replace hundreds of workstations and block employees from regular use of the Internet for more than a month, Commerce officials said Thursday, October 5. The attack targeted the computers of the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS), which is responsible for controlling U.S. exports of commodities, software and technology having both commercial and military uses. The bureau has stepped up its activity in regulating trade with China in recent years as the United States increased its exports of such dual−use items to the growing Chinese market. This marked the second time in recent months that U.S. officials confirmed that a major attack traced to China had succeeded in penetrating government computers. "Through established security procedures, BIS discovered a targeted effort to gain access to BIS user accounts," said Commerce Department spokesperson Richard Mills. "We have no evidence that BIS data has been lost or compromised."
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp−dyn/content/article/2006/10/05/AR2006100501781.html