Google Says Chinese Hackers Broke Into Gmail
- Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:06am by
Scott Baker
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SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Computer hackers in China broke into the Gmail accounts of several hundred people, including senior U.S. government officials, military personnel and political activists, Google Inc. said Wednesday.
The attacks aren’t believed to be tied to a more sophisticated assault originating from China in late 2009 and early last year. That intrusion targeted the Google’s own security systems and triggered a high-profile battle with China’s Communist government over online censorship, which has made it more difficult for the company to do business in the world’s most populous country.
The latest duplicity appeared to rely on so-called “phishing” scams and other underhanded behavior that hackers frequently use to obtain passwords from people and websites that aren’t vigilant about protecting the information.
Google credited its own security measures for detecting and disrupting the intrusions. All the victims have been notified and their Gmail account secured, according to the company.
Google wouldn’t say what parts of the U.S. government were targeted or whether any confidential information may have been contained in the breached Gmail accounts. Besides senior government officials, other people whose Gmail accounts were violated included Chinese political activists, military personally, journalists and officials in other countries, mainly in South Korea.
Google traced the origin of the attacks to Jinan, China. That‘s the home city of a vocational school whose computers were linked to the assault more than a year ago on Google’s computer systems, along with those of more than 20 other U.S. companies.
That break-in prompted Google to move its Chinese-language search engine from mainland China so it wouldn‘t have to edit its results to conform with the ruling party’s censorship rules. The search engine is now based in Hong Kong, which has less stringent rules.
Before the shift, the tensions escalated amid reports that the Chinese government escalated amid reports that had at least an indirect hand in the 2009 and 2010 hacking attacks, a possibility that Google didn’t rule out.
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Comments (58)
TomFerrari
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:17amHmmm… Since the Pentagon just announced cyber hacks will be considered acts of war, doesn’t that mean we are now in a state of war with China?
If so, we can nationalize all their assets, including their ‘receivables’ – (our debt to them)
How much of our debt would that wipe out?
If that’ll work, China can hack my email anytime – the’ll have complete unfettered access to all the latest secrets like, DVD releases from Disney, they’ll know exatly what Jos. A Bank, Sears, and Home Depot have on sale this week. They’ll probably have to dig through all the spam to find it though.
Report Post »Bhaub
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:58am101
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 5:22am
Nobody with half a brain uses Gmail
—————————–
AOL is where it’s at!
LOLOLOL
Report Post »BlackCrow
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:54amThis just highlights the need for everyone who uses the Internet to safeguard their passwords, use strong passwords and to change those passwords on a regular basis.
No reputable network administrator will ever ask for an individual’s password. They will NEVER ask for a user name or password in an email!!! If you do receive an email asking for personal information DELETE IT!!!! DO NOT open email attachments unless you are sure of the sender and know about the attachment. Above all keep an anti-virus program, an anti-spyware program and an anti-malware program running and up to date. By following these steps even attacks like the one in this story can be defeated…BY YOU the user.
Report Post »SLR Cameras
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:53amway to go china. they are kicking our trash in everything these days.
Report Post »texasfarmer
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:47amSurprise! Probably the same people that posted Weiners hot-dog.
Report Post »let us prey
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 8:54amOn the 31st did the govt say that cyber attacks can be considered an act of war?
Report Post »Is google being cyber bullied? I think google wil run to the baby dictator for help.
TexasStu
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 8:48amChina has the biggest and fastest computer in the world so they are just trying it out. Also I would not doubt that Google is pushing this a little, I mean weren’t they the ones advocating for Egypt? I don’t trust anything out of Google I have deleted all of Google’s programs from my computer and will not ever install them again.
Report Post »mrfunn
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 8:28am.
Hacked by China! I’m shocked!
Meanwhile, my router reports multiple break-in attempts per day from … China.
Report Post »windycitywoman
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 8:16amAwee poor Google, go tell George Soros. oh wait, he probably set it up!
Report Post »OUTRIDER WRITER
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:53amGmail is a LEMON.
Report Post »Nervous Investor
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:43amI stay clear of Google …… except as a search engine …. now that is going to change too ….. I just don’t trust those folk …. I used to think that they had a motto that went something like “don’t do evil” ….. they must have forgotten …..
Report Post »FANGS
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:34amThis is just more Government B.S. to distract from the Weiner conspiracy. Propaganda as usual.
Report Post »cloudsofwar
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:28amNow we know who hacked into Weiner’s files and of course planted the picture. the chinse did it, nice cover story.
Report Post »Nervous Investor
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:49amI thought that I heard that the pic of Weiner’s weener was intended as an entry into a competition for consideration for a Cialis or Viagra advertising campaign ! Was that not so? You say the ChiComs did it ???
Report Post »canuck44
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:17amAll of this Chinese cyber warfare leads to a conclusions:the USA must funnel all portals to the outside world through a single system and not allow free roaming of the USA and all vital functions within the USA need to be placed on a separate secure internet. There is no point continuing to give away the store.
Report Post »Finally a useful role for government in the Internet.
Nervous Investor
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 7:45amAre you nuts? The ultimate tool for Governmental control !!!!
Report Post »mendolover
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 6:40amUsed to be I had confidence in Google. Not anymore. More probs as time goes by with my gmail.
Report Post »reform
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 5:15amHey voice i remember someone back in the 1950″s that warned us of this no? Oh he got run out of town right? Was he right or wrong you decide??
Report Post »reform
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 5:10amWhat is so sad is all this was created here in America and all these programmers from facebook to tweeter to microsoft and we can‘t or won’t stop them really? Shoot i bet if you get some young kid they could make a program to stop all this non-sense, why do we allow it to continue?
Report Post »Opinionmonger
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 5:08amThe only time you cannot be hacked is when you do not own a computer.
Report Post »o2nine17
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:06amWant to bet? if you have a bank account, a mortgage, a SSN and pay taxes to the IRS, they all have been hacked or fell for identity fraud, with it IRS giving away millions of YOUR tax dollars to creeps who stole some poor 63 year old woman’s SSN and claimed her tax refund…
Report Post »Thevoice
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 4:21amHey I just Goggled… Communist Chinese…. and the Google page is blank… Google stock crashes after Chinese hack news at 4 ….
Report Post »Thevoice
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 4:14amThe Truth is that pencil neck Genither and Bernanke if they have to stay up all night will print enough money to pay the Chinese back. Boy you could see this coming from a mile away.. Now you have the sin Of self gratification (thank you George bush and the idiot… Greenspan… idiot) knocking at the door and the Communist Chinese mob collecting for it. The Mooselimbs ready to kill us and the Jews..All because we bought into this great global love fest… If only we had been a little smarter …Too late now …And left them stuck in the muck of their communist starvation.. and ************ sand pit of dispair … What Obama …Obama is only going to hand the keys over as fast as he can .That dummy knows now the communist, and his Mooselimbs friends here used him ..he couldn’t find his way out of a one door wash room ..Do me a favor..Would the suck up satellite company’s ,..,Please at least have the balls and take that Chinese communist propaganda they call news off our air waves..Or are you so spineless little dweebs … because America is sick of paying for it …and it is a disservice to every American that was killed by the Communist Chinese in Korea ..So with the stock market in the tank the middle east on fire..America leave the Chinese junk on the shelf to collect dust..and start to get a grip …You need or want something made to sell learn to do it under your own nose.. you might actually feel you accomplished something at the end of the day……
Report Post »tbl10
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:33amFunny how this comes just a few days after the United States claims any cyber attack on the United States would be considered as an act of war. I guess Obama will be apologizing to China in the near future.
Report Post »Fastsam
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:23amThis is why Obama and Google are so close. Now Weiner can claim all his problems on hackers. The White House will soon follow this new fad of blaming other Countries for all of the US’s shortcomings via technological terrorist. I sit back and laugh at the antics of the Washington ELITE. They may all have Harvard educations but everyone of them lack in common sense and wisdom. These are God given gifts so most could not have them since they don’t even believe there is a GOD. What a sad life Obama and the gang that surrounds him live.
Report Post »1stAmendment
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:26amYour giving our politicians too many ideas!
Report Post »101
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 5:49amOne large donation buys these idiots a Harvard degree not an education
Report Post »1stAmendment
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:22amIt’s china again, our politicians just don’t get they causing major harm for this country!
Report Post »Oh wait they buy our bonds! So I guess! Donno! It’s china again!
lightbeam
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:20amTony Weiner’s alibi. Wow. If it really was Weiner’s weener, then he has some pretty big friends, eh?
Report Post »Thevoice
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:16amWhat the communist Chinese …No never…O… there great…I just love it…Generation 4 mega bite me..Gets another one shoved up their A$$ …Just wait for the day ..They decide to throw you in the missing person van …Idiots….
Report Post »KickinBack
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 3:32amToo bad we couldn’t just go to cyberwar with China. They make and control everything. All they would have to do is push a button and my alarm clock kills me in my sleep. Good thing I’m insomnic. :)
Report Post »Living In NYC
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 4:45amGoogle is bed with bad folks and bad things happen to bad people…Hey Google you are who you hang with…keep your vans off my street!
Report Post »101
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 5:22amNobody with half a brain uses Gmail
Report Post »Stuck_in_CA
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 6:09amHey, Blazers — We better be paying real close attention to what the “good guys” in Congress are REALLY doing:
GOP Pulls Libya War Powers Resolution from the Floor Because it Might Pass
Report Post »http://www.opencongress.org/articles/view/2305-GOP-Pulls-Libya-War-Powers-Resolution-from-the-Floor-
ISeeDanger.com
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 6:31amYes, Rep Weiner was found in China last week “hacking”.
http://www.ISeeDanger.com
Report Post »randy
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 8:15amGoogle wouldn’t say what parts of the U.S. government were targeted or whether any confidential information may have been contained in the breached Gmail accounts.
Why the heII would anyone in the Gov’t have sensitive information on Gmail server ????
Report Post »NOTAMUSHROOM
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:11amIf you use Google, you’re asking for this crap.
Report Post »The_Almighty_Creestof
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:21amBrought to you by the country who forces prisoners to work 10 hours of hard labor and then play on-line games all night for items/in-game money/characters to sell to American gamers. China is also home to a billion dollar a year industry paying normally out of work people to play on-line games all day.
So now they are hacking? Should ne be too hard for them…”if 700 monkeys typed for 700 years they’d turn out the works of William Shakespear”…so trying every password in existance should be pretty easy.
Report Post »Gasparri
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 9:51amLook Google, when you kiss butt communist chi com cat eating slant eyed slope headed **** rotten egg eating copyright patent stealing rusty junk producing dog eating reptoid UFO filming yellow dog mange manglers with a one child one brain policy you deserve a good hacking not to mention a plate of misfortune cookies up your java driven jaws. ( Or other body parts that rhyme better )
OK, won ton wankers, go get Bing now.
Report Post »TomFerrari
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 10:12amMomma always said, “You lie with dogs, you’re gonna get fleas.”
Report Post »IvanK
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 1:26pmEvil begets Evil!
Report Post »mullet
Posted on June 2, 2011 at 1:34pmUnless you are a pedifile or some kind of malicious dissident, I’m pretty sure you are safe to use Google with your personal information.
Report Post »foobear
Posted on June 3, 2011 at 1:48amAll of this was because of 6-4, i.e. Tianamen Square Day.
The Chinese government is (rightly) paranoid about chatter before it each year.
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