Great stuff from the New York Times’ David Sanger, David Barboza, and Nicole Perlroth.
In short, the article looks at PLA Unit 61398 and one of the more dastardly Chinese hacking groups known as “Comment Crew.” Included within the article is a picture of a large white building in a run-down Shanghai neighborhood. The authors explain:
The building off Datong Road, surrounded by restaurants, massage parlors and a wine importer, is the headquarters of P.L.A. Unit 61398. A growing body of digital forensic evidence — confirmed by American intelligence officials who say they have tapped into the activity of the army unit for years — leaves little doubt that an overwhelming percentage of the attacks on American corporations, organizations and government agencies originate in and around the white tower.
The NYT article stems from a 60 page report released by Mandiant. The title of that report is APT1: Exposing One of China’s Cyber Espionage Units.
The authors also quoted the White House:
The White House said it was “aware” of the Mandiant report, and Tommy Vietor, the spokesman for the National Security Council, said, “We have repeatedly raised our concerns at the highest levels about cybertheft with senior Chinese officials, including in the military, and we will continue to do so.”
. . .
But Obama administration officials say they are planning to tell China’s new leaders in coming weeks that the volume and sophistication of the attacks have become so intense that they threaten the fundamental relationship between Washington and Beijing.
This article is just so damn good, I can’t recommend it enough. I’ve already quoted too much from it, so please, check out David Sanger, David Barboza, and Nicole Perlroth’s New York Times article here.
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