A major cyberattack against the Australian Bureau of Meteorology that might have compromised potentially sensitive national security information is being blamed on China, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) said yesterday.
The bureau owns one of Australia’s largest supercomputers and the attack, which the ABC said occurred in recent days, might have allowed those responsible access to the Australian Department of Defense through a linked network.
The ABC, citing several unidentified sources with knowledge of the “massive” breach, placed the blame on China, which has in the past been accused of hacking sensitive Australian government computer systems.
“It’s China,” the ABC quoted one source as saying.
The bureau said in a statement on its Web site that it did not comment on security matters, but that it was working closely with security agencies and that its computer systems were fully operational.
The Australian Federal Police declined to comment on the matter. The Department of Defense said in a statement that it was barred by policy from commenting on specific cybersecurity incidents.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs dismissed the accusation, saying the government opposed cyberattacks and all parties concerned should strengthen dialogue to solve the problem “in the spirit of mutual respect.”
“Groundless accusations and speculation are not constructive,” ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying (華春瑩) told a regular briefing.
China has long been accused of using its considerable computing resources to infiltrate online businesses for competitive advantage, as well as conducting acts of cyberespionage.
In June, US officials blamed Chinese hackers for compromising the records of up to 4 million current and former US government employees.
Beijing called the US comments irresponsible, while US President Barack Obama vowed that Washington would aggressively bolster its cyberdefenses.
China is Australia’s top trade partner, with two-way trade of about A$150 billion (US$110 billion) in 2013, and they signed a free-trade agreement last year that is likely to further boost commercial ties.
Australia needs China’s help to transition from a reliance on exports of minerals such as coal and iron ore to expanding its food and agricultural exports to a growing Asian middle class, moving from a “mining boom” to a “dining boom.”
However, Chinese firms have been locked out of sensitive deals in the past over security concerns, most prominently a decision in 2013 to bar Huawei from bidding on Australia’s National Broadband Network.
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