Some key points from this article:
Tone:
1). Trying to change the dialogue (Sunnylands just ended/using Snowden revelation steam to counter US’s major China Hacker Threat message) – China is not hacker enemy #1, America is actually the main worldwide culprit.
2). The Pacific Pivot combined with America being a “hacker empire” with proven defense run/sponsored groups hitting all sectors, both military and civilian, means that America’s cyber attack threat very serious for China and those weapons/techniques developed by America will, in the end, be used on China
3). Undertones pushing for more spending on Chinese cyber defenses and indigenous networking and other computer related products/industry
Interesting Points:
1)Article stated number of US staff involved in Cyber Warfare – over 100,000. Factual?
2)Who is Dan Walton? Information spill on JFCCNW, but still in the dark on JFCCNW over all
3)Claim of US DoD creation of a cyber media warfare force comprised of tech savvy journalists
4)In 2012, China’s 1,400 Domestic based host computer networks suffered 73,000 attacks with foreign IPs, 32,000 of which used embedded backdoors. 38,000 domestic websites attacked
Penetrating the “Prism”: America’s Deep Chinese Network Intrusion Methods
06/13/2013 21:02
Source: CNTV Editor: Peitong Reporter: Jiang Yiyi
American Cyber Warrior Forces: the Main Force behind Network Attacks on China
CNTV (editor PieTong reports) that while the American government and the media are strongly publicizing the “Chinese hacker threat message” that they appear to be ignoring that America itself is a hotbed for hacking. Even American network security specialists admit that the actions of America’s “cyber forces” are not confined to “military related arenas”. This type of [hacking] work probably “entered” industrial and commerce sectors, the financial services industry, and the daily life of citizens at an earlier time. These “cyber warriors” are already developing in the direction of a “hacker empire”.
Earlier in 2010, before the U.S. Cyber Command was established, the U.S. Strategic Command’s senior commander, while attending the Senate Armed Forces Committee in April 2004, admitted the existence of the organization of hackers known as, Joint Functional Component Command (JFCCNW). This organization marked the beginning of carrying out “network guerrilla warfare”, and gradually moved toward a future regular “cyber warrior” unit guiding “regular cyber warfare” evolution.
Publically, JFCCNW is responsible for defending the U.S. Department of Defense’s network security. However, this department is also responsible for secret high level computer network attacks. Thus this department has been dubbed the “joint department command”, because its hacker forces are not only made up of military staff but also hacker staff from the American Central Intelligence Agency, the National Security Administration, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations, and even hired hackers from the civilian population, and allied nations’ military advisors.
Even one word about the actions and successes of America’s JFCCNW is hard to find. The U.S. Department of Defense commonly only publishes how many network attacks were stopped at the end of each year, but does not admit its own launched network attacks, for example, its attacks on other nations’ computer networks or radar systems, etc. Former American Marine intelligence officer Dan Walton believes that JFCCNW’s “military capability” is highly confidential, but that this organization has the ability to destroy an enemy’s computer network, pass through an enemies network firewall and eavesdrop or alter key data, and can even install “worm” viruses into an enemies command and control systems causing them to lose ability to communicate with and mobilize forces and launch guided air defense missiles in time.
At the end of 2006, the U.S. Department of Defense created a completely new force – a cyber media warfare force. This force’s members not only possess relatively advanced computer skills, but also deep theoretical knowledge of media propaganda, making for expert “journalists” with expert computer knowledge. This new army is engaged in an internet battle 24 hours a day, “striving to correct incorrect information”, allowing America’s military forces to resist “incorrect” news, vastly strengthening its ability to direct self-serving reports.
At present America is the number one military power and when compared with the vast majority of nations, in land, sea, air, and space, possesses absolute superiority. However, America is still not satisfied and desires to achieve dominance in a fifth realm — cyber superiority. Obama’s administration is paying great importance on network superiority plans and implementation. After only being in office a few months he planned cyber army command and greatly expanded funds for American network warrior attack weapons.
In July of 2011, the U.S. Department of Defense published the report, “Cyberspace Action Strategy”, clearly repeated that cyberspace is part of “area operations” with land, sea, air, and space, with cyberspace serving as America’s “fifth battlefield”. According to foreign military specialists, currently, America’s “cyber warriors” has surpassed 100,000 or relatively the size of 8 101 Airborne divisions. It is worth noting that these “network warriors” are embedded by different methods into different military branches and security organizations –they carry out secretive surveillance and attacks on foreign governments, organizations, institutions, and even civilians. They even carry out secretive monitoring, evaluation, and attacks on American domestic organizations, institutions, and civilians; even American network security specialists themselves admit that the operations of America’s “cyber warriors” are not solely confined to “military arenas”, and that their work probably “entered” into the industry and commerce sector, financial service sector, and civilian life at an earlier time.
At the same time, since the 90s, the U.S. military fervently started to recruit “hackers” through different methods. The American military hosts the “Computer Hacker Conference” in Las Vegas each year to select a group of elite hackers to prepare for future network wars. In addition, the militaries of America and the West pay great importance in training elite hackers in the armed forces. The National Defense University was one of the first to research software and carry out logic attacks and defensive war games giving priority to information warfare experts, the first batch which graduated in the fall of 1995. In June of 1997, these cyber warriors joined the secret exercise, “Eligible Recipient” carried out by the National Security Agency; several “hackers” were successful in forcing their way into the U.S. Pacific Command and the regional military networks in Washington, Chicago, St. Louis, and Colorado. In addition, they gained control of America’s nationwide electric power network
According to revelations made by the American media, the U.S. Department of Defense onmultiple occasions trapped and recruited a “cyber army” from hackers who committed serious crimes and who were in custody.
According to estimations, the American military currently has of 2000 types of “cyber weapons” and is the world’s number one “cyber weapons” country. Between 2006 and 2008, America successively held two large-scale cyber warfare games code named, “network storm”. In 2010 and 2012, Iran’s nuclear facilities successively received network virus attacks; Iran asserted that the attackers behind the scenes included America. China’s National Internet Emergency Center previously reported that in 2012 alone that China’s more than 1,400 domestic host computer networks experienced 73,000 attacks with foreign IP addresses; 32,00 of these foreign IP attacks used embedded backdoors, joining in carrying out long distance remote control on close to 38,000 domestic websites.
Military experts believe that under America’s existing Pacific Pivot strategy that China has become America’s number one enemy. This means that for a part of America’s cyber force, China has inevitably become one of the most important enemies. Thus, speaking from one perspective, the network intrusion methods of America’s network forces can’t avoid being used one day to deal with China.
Original News Article:http://news.cntv.cn/2013/06/13/ARTI1371127550241428.shtml
mkcyber 