A sophisticated hacking campaign launched from computers in China burrowed deeply into satellite operators, defense contractors and telecoms in the US and Southeast Asia, security researchers at Symantec Corp said on Tuesday.
The effort appeared to be driven by national espionage goals, such as the interception of military communications, Symantec said.
Such interception capabilities are rare, but not unheard of, and the researchers could not say what communications, if any, were taken.
More disturbingly in this case, the hackers infected computers that controlled the satellites, Symantec said.
“Disruption to satellites could leave civilian as well as military installations subject to huge [real world] disruptions,” Symantec technical director Vikram Thakur said. “We are extremely dependent on their functionality.”
Satellites are critical to telephone and some Internet links as well as mapping and positioning data.
Symantec, based in Mountain View, California, described its findings ahead of a planned public release and said the hackers had been removed from infected systems.
Symantec said it has shared technical information about the hack with the FBI and the US Department of Homeland Security, along with public defense agencies in Asia and other security companies.
The FBI did not respond to a request for comment.
Symantec detected the misuse of common software tools at client sites in January, leading to the campaign’s discovery at unnamed targets, Thakur said.
He said that a group that Symantec calls Thrip, which might be called different names by other companies, was responsible for the effort.
The hackers launched their campaign from three computers in China, it said, but added that, in theory, the machines could have been compromised by someone elsewhere.
GLOBAL ISSUE: If China annexes Taiwan, ‘it will not stop its expansion there, as it only becomes stronger and has more force to expand further,’ the president said China’s military and diplomatic expansion is not a sole issue for Taiwan, but one that risks world peace, President William Lai (賴清德) said yesterday, adding that Taiwan would stand with the alliance of democratic countries to preserve peace through deterrence. Lai made the remark in an exclusive interview with the Chinese-language Liberty Times (sister paper of the Taipei Times). “China is strategically pushing forward to change the international order,” Lai said, adding that China established the Asia Infrastructure Investment Bank, launched the Belt and Road Initiative, and pushed for yuan internationalization, because it wants to replace the democratic rules-based international
ECONOMIC BOOST: Should the more than 23 million people eligible for the NT$10,000 handouts spend them the same way as in 2023, GDP could rise 0.5 percent, an official said Universal cash handouts of NT$10,000 (US$330) are to be disbursed late next month at the earliest — including to permanent residents and foreign residents married to Taiwanese — pending legislative approval, the Ministry of Finance said yesterday. The Executive Yuan yesterday approved the Special Act for Strengthening Economic, Social and National Security Resilience in Response to International Circumstances (因應國際情勢強化經濟社會及民生國安韌性特別條例). The NT$550 billion special budget includes NT$236 billion for the cash handouts, plus an additional NT$20 billion set aside as reserve funds, expected to be used to support industries. Handouts might begin one month after the bill is promulgated and would be completed within
The National Development Council (NDC) yesterday unveiled details of new regulations that ease restrictions on foreigners working or living in Taiwan, as part of a bid to attract skilled workers from abroad. The regulations, which could go into effect in the first quarter of next year, stem from amendments to the Act for the Recruitment and Employment of Foreign Professionals (外國專業人才延攬及僱用法) passed by lawmakers on Aug. 29. Students categorized as “overseas compatriots” would be allowed to stay and work in Taiwan in the two years after their graduation without obtaining additional permits, doing away with the evaluation process that is currently required,
RELEASED: Ko emerged from a courthouse before about 700 supporters, describing his year in custody as a period of ‘suffering’ and vowed to ‘not surrender’ Former Taiwan People’s Party (TPP) chairman Ko Wen-je (柯文哲) was released on NT$70 million (US$2.29 million) bail yesterday, bringing an end to his year-long incommunicado detention as he awaits trial on corruption charges. Under the conditions set by the Taipei District Court on Friday, Ko must remain at a registered address, wear a GPS-enabled ankle monitor and is prohibited from leaving the country. He is also barred from contacting codefendants or witnesses. After Ko’s wife, Peggy Chen (陳佩琪), posted bail, Ko was transported from the Taipei Detention Center to the Taipei District Court at 12:20pm, where he was fitted with the tracking
RSS