Australia sees China as main suspect in state-based cyberattacks, sources say

By Colin Packham

 

FILE PHOTO: Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison speaks during a joint press conference held with New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern at Admiralty House in Sydney, Australia, February 28, 2020. REUTERS/Loren Elliott

 

SYDNEY (Reuters) - Australia views China as the chief suspect in a spate of cyber-attacks of increasing frequency in recent months, three sources familiar with the government’s thinking told Reuters on Friday, a suggestion swiftly dismissed by Beijing.

 

The comments came after Prime Minister Scott Morrison said a “sophisticated state-based actor” had spent months trying to hack all levels of the government, political bodies, essential service providers and operators of critical infrastructure.

 

“We know it is a sophisticated state-based cyber actor because of the scale and nature of the targeting,” Morrison told reporters but declined to say who Australia believed was responsible.

Three sources briefed on the matter said Australia believed China is responsible, however.

 

“There is a high degree of confidence that China is behind the attacks,” one Australian government source told Reuters, seeking anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media.

 

A Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman on Friday denied Beijing was involved and said China “firmly opposed all forms of cyber attacks.”

 

Australian intelligence has flagged similarities between the recent attacks and a cyber attack on parliament and the three largest political parties in March 2019. Last year, Reuters reported that Australia had quietly concluded China was responsible for that cyber-attack.

 

Australia has never publicly identified the source of that attack, however, and China denied it was responsible.

 

As with last year’s attack, Australia’s chief cyber intelligence agency said on Friday its investigation had found no evidence that the perpetrator sought to be “disruptive or destructive” once within the host network.

 

Morrison said he spoke about the issue with British Prime Minister Boris Johnson on Thursday, while other allies have also received briefings.

 

Defence Minister Linda Reynolds said advice showed no large-scale personal breaches of data resulting from the attack, but urged users to fully update web or email servers with the latest software and use multi-factor authentication.

 

An Australian government source said Morrison’s public declaration was a bid to flag the issue to potential targets.

 

A U.S. security ally, Australia strained ties with its largest trading partner, China, by pushing for an international inquiry into the source and spread of the coronavirus that first emerged in the central Chinese city of Wuhan late last year.

 

China recently imposed dumping tariffs on Australian barley, suspended some imports of beef and warned its students and tourists against travel to the country, citing racism accusations. Two-way trade stood at A$235 billion ($162 billion) last year.

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2020-06-19

 

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18 minutes ago, snoop1130 said:

“There is a high degree of confidence that China is behind the attacks,”

and surely the Chinese will deny any involvement, even when caught with their hand in the candy jar they still denying it. Retaliatory actions to whom may question Chinese integrity about coronavirus reports

The Gov have been very careful to NOT say it was China. The relationship is already bad enough.

Despite massive amounts of Chinese propaganda, the world has woke to the Chinese threat.

The CCP is nervous about Australia, as an independent country expressing forthright opinions. Subversion and threats are standard procedure.

 

Is Australia following US’s Huawei accusation of threats but never provide any details. 

1 hour ago, Isaan sailor said:

Despite massive amounts of Chinese propaganda, the world has woke to the Chinese threat.

Not until the world rejects Chinas 5g technology can that be said with conviction. 

30 minutes ago, Eric Loh said:

Is Australia following US’s Huawei accusation of threats but never provide any details. 

Some info has been provided regards cyber attacks on large commercial organisations and universities. I would assume Federal Government stuff they would prefer to keep off the front page. Can't provide link as behind paywall, but you may get access as a casual offshore user.

 

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/

2 hours ago, DoctorG said:

The Gov have been very careful to NOT say it was China. The relationship is already bad enough.

Kowtow to bullying.   Some classic leftie thinking right there.

2 hours ago, Traubert said:

What Chinese threat?

Quit trolling 

2 hours ago, Isaan sailor said:

Despite massive amounts of Chinese propaganda, the world has woke to the Chinese threat.

 it's about time 555

1 hour ago, simple1 said:

Some info has been provided regards cyber attacks on large commercial organisations and universities. I would assume Federal Government stuff they would prefer to keep off the front page. Can't provide link as behind paywall, but you may get access as a casual offshore user.

 

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/

This BBC link is about the best I can obtain to shed some light on the cypher attack. 
 

Key takeaways were no major breach and there are 4 countries suspected not just China. Still lacking in specifics and details. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46096768

1 hour ago, Eric Loh said:

This BBC link is about the best I can obtain to shed some light on the cypher attack. 
 

Key takeaways were no major breach and there are 4 countries suspected not just China. Still lacking in specifics and details. 

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-46096768

“There is a high degree of confidence that China is behind the attacks,” one Australian government source told Reuters, seeking anonymity as he was not authorised to speak to media. 

 

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-australia-cyber/australia-sees-china-as-main-suspect-in-state-based-cyberattacks-sources-say-idUSKBN23P3T5

4 hours ago, Traubert said:

What Chinese threat?

Let’s not even consider the Wuhan virus pandemic.  Now, which Chinese threat would you like to refute?  

For starters, how about that silly Nine Dash Line on a map of the South China Sea, and subsequent expansion and militarization of Spratly Islands?

Edited June 20, 20206 yr by Isaan sailor

You guys need to do some homework. The report about China came from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, ASPI, that is an American funded, mostly by defense industries, propaganda outfit.

It had nothing to do with the government but they were happy to spread the rumours.

34 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

You guys need to do some homework. The report about China came from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, ASPI, that is an American funded, mostly by defense industries, propaganda outfit.

It had nothing to do with the government but they were happy to spread the rumours.

Actually it used to be 100% funded by the Australian government although that's now been decreased but the vast majority of its funding is from Australia's Dept of Defense who do happen to be part of the government. 

 

Of course it receives funding from other sources.

2 minutes ago, Bkk Brian said:

Actually it used to be 100% funded by the Australian government although that's now been decreased but the vast majority of its funding is from Australia's Dept of Defense who do happen to be part of the government. 

 

Of course it receives funding from other sources.

Yes

"The ASPI website lists a number of defence companies among its sponsors, including Northrop Grumman, MBDA Missile Systems and Raytheon Australia.

Mr Jennings said the think tank also received funding from US State Department"

 

It is just a propaganda outfit, like all of these organizations will give the results to suit who ever pays their salaries.

12 minutes ago, GreasyFingers said:

Yes

"The ASPI website lists a number of defence companies among its sponsors, including Northrop Grumman, MBDA Missile Systems and Raytheon Australia.

Mr Jennings said the think tank also received funding from US State Department"

 

It is just a propaganda outfit, like all of these organizations will give the results to suit who ever pays their salaries.

Yes much better for you to believe China's foreign ministry that denies the cyber attacks, no propaganda there at all

Just now, Bkk Brian said:

Yes much better for you to believe China's foreign ministry that denies the cyber attacks, no propaganda there at all

But I am not paranoid. Who said I believe what China has said.

I do not believe anything that China or USA say. Peas in a pod to me.

5 hours ago, Ireland32 said:

Quit trolling 

Not trolling. It might take some intelligence to see that.

All news about China is bad news. 

China made a statement to the effect that it is the US doing the cyber attacks , then again they also said, initially,  that the Covid 19  outbreak was caused by a US soldier walking the streets of Wuhan, so I guess you could believe em, if you wanted to. ????????????

What is actually the most interesting sentence in the Australian reports is the one that says that the counter-measures taken by the Oz government are not only defensive.

On 6/20/2020 at 10:12 AM, Traubert said:

What Chinese threat?

Yeah sure, it must be you to try to belittle it.

 

If you do not see cyberattacks and what can happen when they are successfull as a threat, then your mind might be influenced by the 50 cent you seem to get for such posts.

22 hours ago, GreasyFingers said:

You guys need to do some homework. The report about China came from the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, ASPI, that is an American funded, mostly by defense industries, propaganda outfit.

It had nothing to do with the government but they were happy to spread the rumours.

Ok, some homework, done:

My team runs a nice amount of servers all around the globe. For some time now they are massively under a concerted brute force attack to gain access via ssh. Despite that we made it not so obvious that the service is running, so script kiddies will not find it, you must have more knowledge.

 

At first it was about 50% coming from Chinese IP addresses and the others mainly from servers which you can rent cheaply, such as from Digital Ocean.
 

Many of these servers seem to have been stopped by the abuse departments of the server hosters. With the result that now it is about 75% coming from Chinese IPs, registered to a variety of Chinese ISPs.

 

As you might know, it is not so easy to get Chinese IP addresses if you’re not Chinese or in China. 
 

So if Australia sees the same, I have no doubt that it is true. Massive Chinese brute force cyberattacks on any server out there on the Internet. Confirmed.

 

Do I get a silver star now for the homework, or better a nice little Winnie the Pooh?

Edited June 21, 20206 yr by yuyiinthesky

2 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

Ok, some homework, done:

My team runs a nice amount of servers all around the globe. For some time now they are massively under a concerted brute force attack to gain access via ssh. Despite that we made it not so obvious that the service is running, so script kiddies will not find it, you must have more knowledge.

 

At first it was about 50% coming from Chinese IP addresses and the others mainly from servers which you can rent cheaply, such as from Digital Ocean.
 

Many of these servers seem to have been stopped by the abuse departments of the server hosters. With the result that now it is about 75% coming from Chinese IPs, registered to a variety of Chinese ISPs.

 

As you might know, it is not so easy to get Chinese IP addresses if you’re not Chinese or in China. 
 

So if Australia sees the same, I have no doubt that it is true. Massive Chinese brute force cyberattacks on any server out there on the Internet. Confirmed.

 

Do I get a silver star now for the homework, or better a nice little Winnie the Pooh?

I am too lazy to go back through the research but the US had a method of disguising their attacks, had a special name so in your field you should know.

Only a moron would think it's anyone other than the Chinese. The Chinese have realised that their illusion has slipped recently and now are reverting to their tried and tested measures of threats, bullying, theft and cyber attacks ... not to mention their diplomats that now mouth-off all the time like a bunch of fascists. The world is waking up to the vileness of this awful regime and all heartless dictatorships revert to the same tactics once they are rumbled. The truth has outed and they don't like it.

Edited June 21, 20206 yr by Brigand

On 6/20/2020 at 10:12 AM, Traubert said:

What Chinese threat?

The Chinese threat that claims the entire South China Sea and harasses neighbouring countries shipping, the same threat that regularly harasses Taiwan airspace, the same threat that unleashed a virus on the world, the same threat that threatened embargoes on Australian product for merely suggesting an international enquiry into Covid-19. That Chinese threat. The one that has stated publicly they are building a military to fight and win in any theatre in the world and has given their President power of President for LIFE. The world has always done well with guys who become President for life. And this is the same Chinese threat that is in the middle of a massive shipbuilding program, that will be putting 3rd carrier (ie carrier battle group) into the water soon. With more to follow. The China that is going to most likely attack Taiwan as soon as they can field 3 or 4 battle groups in the water, coupled with their airbases in the new Islands they built in the South China sea. The Chinese threat that will most likely cause Japan to announce Nuclear weapons capability in 10-20 years (Just a hunch on my part). Japan is in a precarious situation with the Rise of China. Just an opinion of course.

Troll posts and replies removed

4 hours ago, yuyiinthesky said:

Ok, some homework, done:

My team runs a nice amount of servers all around the globe. For some time now they are massively under a concerted brute force attack to gain access via ssh. Despite that we made it not so obvious that the service is running, so script kiddies will not find it, you must have more knowledge.

 

At first it was about 50% coming from Chinese IP addresses and the others mainly from servers which you can rent cheaply, such as from Digital Ocean.
 

Many of these servers seem to have been stopped by the abuse departments of the server hosters. With the result that now it is about 75% coming from Chinese IPs, registered to a variety of Chinese ISPs.

 

As you might know, it is not so easy to get Chinese IP addresses if you’re not Chinese or in China. 
 

So if Australia sees the same, I have no doubt that it is true. Massive Chinese brute force cyberattacks on any server out there on the Internet. Confirmed. (SILVER STAR) - u have to use your imagination though.

 

Do I get a silver star now for the homework, or better a nice little Winnie the Pooh?

Yeah you get a silver star for your honest assessment as a professional.