July 1,
2008: A recent analysis of web sites
pushing malware (software that helps hackers steal data) revealed that half of
them are connected with just ten ISPs (Internet Service Providers), and six of
those ISPs are in China. This came as no surprise, as China has become the
favorite hideout for Internet criminals.
There's
just one catch. The Chinese Internet is highly policed by a special force of
30,000 secret police technicians. On the Chinese Internet, you don't do
something the government does not want, at least not for long. So how do these
criminals manage to survive on such a heavily policed portion of the Internet?
It's no secret that a lot of Internet mischief comes out of China, with the
tacit approval of the Chinese government. This includes vandalizing web sites
of organizations that push democracy in China, or protest the restrictions on
the Chinese Internet, or say anything the Chinese officials do not like.
Whenever another country gets into a squabble with China, there's lots of
hacking against that nations websites, particularly government. Most of the
hackers can be traced back to China. The same pattern has been seen with
numerous hacker attacks on government networks in Europe, India and North
America. Apparently, if hackers are willing to "serve the state," they can find
a safe haven in China.
