China official says hackers affected more than 42,000 websites

By Kay B. Day

China has developed a reputation as a source for hacking attacks, and a government official has told Al Jazeera “hackers tampered with more than 42,000 websites last year.” Perhaps in response to that developing reputation as well as criticism from Internet corporate monolith Google, China said it has shut down the biggest “training center” for hackers, the Black Hawk Safety Net. The operation was shut down in November, but reports didn't surface until February.

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FBI Cyber Network Conference warns about terrorists, spies and underground economy

(New York)—Sometimes the U.S. government uses resources wisely. An example: a recent conference hosted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation tackled one of the greatest threats to national security, threats traditional media rarely publicize.

“The sophistication of our adversaries is growing,” Shawn Henry, head of the FBI Cyber Division, told about 400 participants from 37 countries at the first International Conference on Cyber Security. The conference was held the second week in January at Fordham University in New York City and was sponsored by the university and the FBI’s New York Office, bringing together FBI cyber experts and their international counterparts from law enforcement, industry, government, and academia. A news release said cyber crooks have become so organized and businesslike that they use online forums to advertise illegal wares, buy and sell computer viruses, and traffic in stolen identities—all for huge profits. Besides fueling an underground criminal economy, the Internet is increasingly being exploited by terrorists and spies.

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