Chinese hackers likely had eavesdropped on the computers of five European foreign ministries in advance of last September’s G20 summit, which was held in St. Petersburg, Russia. This is according to research that was conducted by California-based computer security firm FireEye Inc.
The hackers sent emails with malware-ridden attachments purporting to detail a possible US intervention in Syria.The company has not revealed which ministries were targeted but said the malware samples were meant for individuals involved in the G20 talks.
Edward J. Snowden about surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency and its intelligence partners dominate attention, the FireEye report is a reminder that Chinese hackers continue to break into the computer systems of governments and firms using simple, email-based attacks.
The FireEye report does not link the attacks to a specific group in China, but security experts say the list of victims points to a state-affiliated campaign.
Researchers at security firm FireEye exposed the attacks after monitoring the hackers' main computer server for about a week in August. They eventually lost access when the group switched servers.
Because Chinese was the default language used on both their control servers and on the machines used to test the malicious code, experts determined the hackers' origin.
While FireEye could not tie the attacks to a specific group, some security experts speculate it was a state-sponsored campaign.
Author Venkatesh Yalagandula Follow us Google + and Facebook and Twitter
The hackers sent emails with malware-ridden attachments purporting to detail a possible US intervention in Syria.The company has not revealed which ministries were targeted but said the malware samples were meant for individuals involved in the G20 talks.
Edward J. Snowden about surveillance conducted by the National Security Agency and its intelligence partners dominate attention, the FireEye report is a reminder that Chinese hackers continue to break into the computer systems of governments and firms using simple, email-based attacks.
The FireEye report does not link the attacks to a specific group in China, but security experts say the list of victims points to a state-affiliated campaign.
Researchers at security firm FireEye exposed the attacks after monitoring the hackers' main computer server for about a week in August. They eventually lost access when the group switched servers.
Because Chinese was the default language used on both their control servers and on the machines used to test the malicious code, experts determined the hackers' origin.
While FireEye could not tie the attacks to a specific group, some security experts speculate it was a state-sponsored campaign.
Author Venkatesh Yalagandula Follow us Google + and Facebook and Twitter
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