- "Our nation's intellectual capital, industrial secrets, and economic security are under daily and withering attack." --Stephen Spoonamore (expert in the field of electronic data security and digital network architecture.)
- "China's big goal in the 21st century is to become world number one, the top power," -Liu Migfu. (People's Liberation Army (PLA) Senior Col., "The China Dream" book).
- "Political power flows from the barrel of a gun." - Mao Zedong (former Chairman of the Communists Party of China)
- "Educate and inform the whole mass of the people... They are the only sure reliance for the preservation of our liberty."-- Thomas Jefferson
Disclaimer.
Please note, I don't pretend to be an expert in politics. I am just sharing my concerns. Thank you in advance if you are ready to spare 20-25 minutes and read this article.
I began sharing my views on politics as the main motivational factor for cyber crime in the first article that I wrote about Russian hackers. Now, let me share my concern about their neighbor to the south, a "rising star of the world economy" China, and growing skills of Chinese computer hackers.
PART I
- A "political correctness" storm.
- Political situation in China
- Growing economy
- China vs. Russia
- Long-term goals
- Average PC user in China or where the hackers are growing...
- How Microsoft armed Chinese hackers
- A cyber-war in action?
- Cyber-espionage
- The cyber-gangsters' "weapons" (outside link to my previous article)
- Why U.S. is losing steam
- The lost cyber war
- What's the situation with resistance to cyber crime?
- What can we do about cyber-terrorism?
- The future of cyber space. Be aware!
PART I
A "political correctness" storm.
The terms "cyber terrorism" or "information warfare" are derived from political agendas of those who rule the countries or from global conglomerates and large corporations that don't hesitate to use any possible measures to achieve their goal. The information age gave us not only sophisticated computer equipment, software, and gadgets but also something that many of us did not expect. I am talking about malware, cyber war, anti-virus programs, firewalls, computer worms and Trojans, botnets, identity theft, and social engineering. All of it became a part of our lives; whether your life is somehow associated with computers or you touch the keyboard occasionally.This article is not only about cyber danger from our "friends" but also about what causes this danger and why we have to understand it better in order to protect not only our computer systems but our country and our position in the global economy. So, forgive me about emphasis on politics because I believe that political repercussion on current situation with the information security is enormous.
If you are working in the office (except those lucky enough to work from home), you are facing so-called "office politics" every day. You interact with your fellow co-workers and your lovely (or not so lovely) managers. As you may have already discovered, your wellbeing depends more on the right behavior and ability to navigate the river of office politics than on your technical or other abilities. The same occurs on the global level between the countries and even continents.
Unfortunately for us, many Western countries including USA are running under "political correctness" dogma created and nurtured by the fanatics of liberalism. Brainwashed liberals are people who do not accept even the strongest arguments and facts against their distorted dogma of social justice - the utopia of socialism and communism. Yes, they have ears but they don't want to listen; yes, they have eyes but they don't want to see the facts and reality of this world.
As Marina Kalashnikova, a Moscow-based historian, researcher and journalist, noted "Western establishment avoids uncomfortable truths about the world and themselves". Another Russian-born journalist who actually "tasted" socialism, Svetlana Kunin (IBD) said "When party leaders talk about the "collective good," what they are really talking about is their right to determine what is good for the collective. Government bureaucrats decide what level of sacrifice is needed and who needs to sacrifice. They replace voluntary charity with the forceful redistribution of other people's private property. Why do people born into a free society accept a failed 100-year-old ideology? It seems Americans are simply unaware of modern history. They don't know the theory behind slogans such as "fairness and equality" and "sacrifice for the collective good," much less how it works when implemented. They buy into old utopian slogans masquerading as new progressive ideals for "Hope and Change." More
Do you want to see where the "political correctness" approach leads to? Look at one of the European countries and what they are faced with. When the media is bought by the Islamic radicals from overseas and local hardcore liberals, the core value of democracy disappears and those who use it for their own advantages are well known. For instance, the examples of voices "political correctness" are clearly showing the fear of retribution if any action against rising Islam will be taken.
The "political correctness" is weakening and killing our country too; it's spreading out to all facets of our lives making us vulnerable even inside of our borders where we are faced now with a new enemy -- radical Islamism. We have created a climate in which not only citizens are forced not to speak when their concern is related to radicalized Muslims but also the members of the military who are afraid to raise questions about the bald and blatant Islamist comments. We have learned from the press that no one raised a red flag about what Major Nidal Hassan expressed over many years because it could be interpreted as anti-Muslim prejudice. In turn, the military took no action against a man who loudly advertised his extremist sympathies. Thirteen (13) Americans paid for that with their lives.
The radical Muslim world hates us because our culture (our music, our lifestyles, etc.) is spreading to them and threatening to steal away their power base (which is the hearts and minds of their children). Once their children have access to the Internet they'll discover the wide range of choices outside their culture. Instead, extremist Muslims use the Internet to radicalize young Muslims in Western countries using their personal weaknesses. And while the vast majority of the world's Muslims are not extremists, significant minorities are just that. Worldwide, Muslims believing themselves to be advancing the faith have committed more than 14,000 acts of violence just since 9/11. To name just few: Madrid, London, Bali, Jerusalem, Mumbai, and Amman. The list is long and bloody - and it includes many innocent Muslims.
There are many furious and confused Americans who witnessed the years-long campaign to minimize the threat of radical Islam, to paint Islam as "the religion of peace," and to marginalize critics of the jihad as guilty of "Islamophobia." It's time to learn from the problems concerning Switzerland and many other European countries: "(1) A large Muslim immigration coupled with a low native birth rate; (2) Increasing Muslims efforts to change the national culture over to an Islamic one, starting small but having ambition, and less and less tendency to assimilate and live in tolerance; and (3) Terrorism from radicalization" (New York Times and Wall St. J, 11/30).
Even in China, pro-China and pro-Muslim hackers have clashed online in a series of Web sites defacements since deadly ethnic riots in China's Muslim region last months.
Here is what one of the Internet bloggers, spinedr33, said: "...no President can come out and say "there's a cultural war happening right now... there are 1.6 billion Muslims and a sect of their culture doesn't want to co-exist with Western culture. So they want us dead. To defend our way of life, we have to fight back. Since these are people - and not countries - we're going to have to fight any regime/country that won't help stop their radical citizens. So there's a good chance that we may come into conflict with Iraq, Afghanistan, Iran, North Korea, etc." The best anyone can do is using the euphemism "war on terror." But let's face it- there IS a cultural war going on right now. At least WE'RE willing to call a truce to stop it (the radicals no longer seem able to do so). There's so much more to write, but what's the point? If you don't get it by now, you may never..."
Blind liberalism and ignorance to the reality of this world created the product of this correctness - our President and his ideas of spreading the wealth and social justice policies not only to our country but also on a global level. It began from Obama's apologies for past American behavior, sending peace feelers to our former enemies like Castro brothers and Hugo Chavez, bowing to the Japanese emperor and the Saudi king on his recent visits to Asia and Arab Emirates (we did not notice him bowing to the Queen of England). He has deferred to Russia about missile defense and conveniently "forgot" about human rights, global warming issues, and Tibet to China.
This President aims to kiss the back sides of our enemies pronouncing that America was ignorant and arrogant, and we are better now and ready for cooperation. Cooperation is good but with whom? Israelites also tried numerous times to cooperate but were barraged with rockets in return. This new American approach to solve the world problems by bowing is very much to the taste of Iran that, based on recent events, came to conclusion that America can be simply ignored.
Harold Estes, enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1934 and served proudly before, during and after WW II, sent a letter to the President and several U.S. Congressman. He said "One of the benefits of my age, perhaps the only one, is to speak my mind, blunt and direct even to the head man. I am amazed, angry and determined not to see my country die before I do but you seem hell bent not to grant me that wish.
I can't figure out what country you are the president of. You fly around the world telling our friends and enemies despicable lies like:
"We're no longer a Christian nation", "America is arrogant" - (Your wife even announced to the world, "America is mean-spirited." Please tell her to try preaching that nonsense to 23 generations of our war dead buried all over the globe who died for no other reason than to free a whole lot of strangers from tyranny and hopelessness.)... Take a little advice from a very old geezer, young man. Shape up and start acting like an American. If you don't, I'll do what I can to see you get shipped out of that fancy rental on Pennsylvania Avenue. You were elected to lead not to bow, apologize and kiss the hands of murderers and corrupt leaders who still treat their people like slaves." More...
Why am I telling you all this that is not directly related to China? Because everything is politisized and the politics is a complicated matter especially when we are seeing the results of "political correctness".
Let's get back to my concern. Please answer these two questions. What's the difference between the Cuban communists and China communists? Why is it OK to have a business with one communist country but not with the other one? Is it more politically correct? Yes, today's situation with China dictates that we don't have to throw the stones on China since we have a glass roof ourselves. Who should we blame that we raised our enemy with our own hands? We can only ourselves and our own governments.
Political situation in China
Today, the emperors that were born into position through a family dynasty no longer rule China. Rather, the Republic of China currently operates under a communist government (and many U.S. Government officials are intended to forget it), which is divided into several branches. Much like the U.S. executive and legislative branches of the government, the NPC (National People's Congress) holds the power to pass laws and change the constitution, as well as elect members of the State Council and Chinese Supreme Court.As Chinese describe it, after the end of the Qing dynasty in 1912, China was still maintaining a feudalistic society where a small group of rich landlords had the majority of the country's wealth, leaving masses of peasants in poverty and despair. Imperialism from Europe also humiliated the Chinese people because they were not truly in control of their own country, having been forced into an embarrassment of unfair agreements. Finally, the Chinese Communist Party formed in 1921 with the goal of bringing to an end foreign oppression of China.
Since the establishment of the People's Republic of China in 1949, the government has desperately tried to heal the country's wounds that resulted from years of turmoil. Their first priority is to assure that all Chinese "eat their fill and dress warmly," a task not easy to do considering the country's gargantuan population. This all falls under the Declaration of Human Rights which states that all citizens are entitled to "life, liberty and sustenance" (we see the difference in two countries' situations by comparing this to the United States' principle calling for "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.)
Under this socialist government, "freedom of speech, the press, assembly, association, marching and demonstration is officially guaranteed" for Chinese citizens. If you are a citizen of 18 years or older, you have the right to vote for deputies of the National People's Congress. They also have the right to lodge a complaint against officials if their rights are violated. Additionally, the country promises government protection of religious rights. China supports equal rights for all ethnic groups, prohibiting discrimination, including discrimination against women. However, the underlying principle behind today's Chinese government is the socialist idea that "All power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people." After centuries of being under the control of an emperor and years of subjecting to foreign powers, the Chinese desperately work for a society in which the citizens lead their own country.
Sounds nice? In reality, based on observations, most of the democracy - related rights are being ignored or actually suppressed by the government. So, the slogan "All power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people" actually is converted to "All power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the people" actually is converted to "All power in the People's Republic of China belongs to the Government". It is a nature of the socialism or communism - driven system. The Chinese government does not allow criticizing their rulers, they hold a tight control on all economical, financial, and political processes, and suppress the freedom of information by applying heavy censoring of Internet and local media (read the news about Obama's visit to China and his meeting with Chinese students).
Growing Economy
"Obama... was impressed with the dynamism of Shanghai, where he held a town hall-style meeting with Chinese youth Monday and which, he said, is "a sign of China's emergence as a great economic power." (AP). In fact, when my friends visited China last year, they also were impressed with a number of construction sites surrounding cities - the result of rapidly growing economy, so far, the third biggest in the world.I respect the Chinese for their 5000+ years history, their contribution to the world with medicine, sport, the art of drawing and self-defense, their hardworking, dedication, and smart approach to many things in life. The current economic power of China is the result of sweat and blood of ordinary citizens applied every day. This is the simple secret of success. If you would have a chance to look inside of the auditorium of prestigious U.S. colleges that teach math, physics, and mechanical/electrical engineering, you would be surprised to find out that about 85% of students are Asians.
Some of them choose to stay in the U.S. They are the kids of hardworking parents who emigrated from China, who keep Chinese food restaurants with your favorite food, and who save money dollar-to-dollar to give the kids the best possible education. They are also the kids of wealthy Chinese who can afford to educate them in American colleges. Many of them come back to China after graduation as they see the opportunity to prosper in their own country. And many of the technology companies that are sources of national pride in China, for example Baidu.com and Sohu.com, are founded by returnees from the West, and are listed on the stock exchange abroad.
However, do not be blinded by China's economic growth success. A mild form of social-democratic political system in Western Europe has resulted in decline in standard of living weighed down by welfare. A harsher form of socialism in China led to mass misery and murder (Tiananmen Square). Recent events when China's authorities decided to put the Chinese lawyer on trial after he wanted just to follow the criminal law in a case against local mafia, or when the San Francisco layers tried to sue China for $2.2 billion dollars in an Internet-censoring software piracy case and came under cyber attack last month are proof that you can expect anything but democracy from the communist government.
China vs. Russia
Being at a great disadvantage compared to Russia, with a humongous number of poor people and lack of advanced economical infrastructure, China economically overpowered Russia as well as many other countries. It's not the only current communist government's smart politics to attract the foreign capital, not only smart policy to protect it, but also the solid base on workforce that want to live better and don't mind working very hard to achieve their goal. There are several explanations why Russia, the country with the biggest amount of natural resources and territory in the world, the country that had the industrial infrastructure in place, could not repeat the success of China:- Stupid politics and total corruption from the top to the bottom;
- Lack of protection for foreign capitals;
- Aging population;
- Search of an "escape goat" instead of honest view on what's wrong with the country and how to fix it;
- Obsession with drugs (flowing from Afghanistan), especially with alcohol.
As one of the investors, Bill Mann mentioned back in 2006: "Investing in another country means that you need to have an understanding about what the people to whom you are entrusting your money think about people like you." Citing the "unpredictability of administrative processes" in Russia, Swedish retail giant, Ikea, froze all its future Russian investments last year because the company faced inflated electricity prices in supposed retaliation for an unwillingness to grease some palms. In a statement that attests the quote above, Ikea's country director conveyed the feeling to an interviewer that "someone somewhere does not like us." More...
Many of the average Russian workers are alcoholics (or, perhaps, huge fans of alcohol) who have no work ethic and motivation to work hard but to spend most of the earned money on alcohol. The paycheck day is very special - the stores that sell vodka see long lines. The next day after the paycheck, many factories and organizations lose 30-40% of people coming to work. A bottle of vodka became nation's currency, a door-opener to the offices of bureaucrats and a payment for various favors
Hard to believe? Consider this. The Russian Federal Organization' web site for alcohol regulations published the project of a new regulation to establish a minimal price for vodka since the "samogonka" (or hard liquor prepared at home) competes with the commercially available vodka. Russia is getting good revenue from sold vodka (38.2 rubles per bottle) considering the fact that, in 2008, vodka sold in Russian Federation in the amount of 1,760,000,000 liters! Add to that an estimated 20-24% of that amount of self-made alcohol and you will end up with 2,147,200,000 liters a year or more than 90 liters per person (!) including children.
Just consider these three sarcastic Russian anecdotes: "Kids from the Yaskovichi village knew very well that they will earlier or later become alcoholics but (just in a case) dreamed to become the astronauts." "The Turkish authorities request Russian tourists to arrive with the passports where they are pictured drunk..." And another one: "In Russia, the alcoholism is not struggle but pleasure".
Many Russian families send their kids oversees not for American education as Chinese do but to look for better life or perhaps to make some money and send it back home to support parents. What else can they expect? Either work as a puppet for one of the wealthy "new Russians" (and without owning a car it's also problematic); join military; join militia (local police) to collect the bribes on the roads; or become an alcoholic working at the factory or elsewhere for low compensation or even worse - drug addict - the fate of many young people. Many Russians don't see the light in the end of a tunnel in their homeland. It's not my imagination - I spoke to few kids from Russia that I met in Sicily (Italy), New York, Cancun, Rio de Janeiro and Barcelona. They are all spread out through the world map.
In many cases, finding a decent job in Russia is problematic - you have to have a car (not affordable for an average citizen) as well as certain skills that cost money to acquire. Young adults who live in large cities have more choices but the newest fashion - drugs are killing without remorse. Russia's attempt to establish the democracy turned to a population to serve the wealthy management.
I spoke to a Russian immigrant who recalled the following story that happened about 30 years ago. He was among several people in the room to meet the Russian journalist who worked in China for almost 25 years. It was a fascinating story about China and Chinese but he memorized the only one phrase that is still carbon in his memory. "If the average Soviet farmer ("kolhoznik") would work at least at 1/3 of the power of the Chinese farmers, the Soviet Union would be in great shape."
Long-term goals
Having more money and carefully manipulating the currency, stocking up on a number of key commodities when the commodity prices such as oil and copper are low, investing up to 15% to 20% of GDP into the infrastructure of highways and railways, plus all the associated township infrastructure linking North and South, and East and West across the U.S.A. or Europe advances China's economy in unprecedented pace. China is also buying U.S. government issued bonds and heavily invests in military and space, purchasing new technologies from the West and then using it for own advantage.
At the same time, China is quietly and rapidly buying gold to protect its huge U.S. dollar reserves (~$2 trillion in U.S. debt). For the past six years, the country has almost doubled its holdings in gold to 1,054 tons, making China the sixth-largest holder of gold bullion. At the same time, they are pushing the idea of replacing the dollar as the world's reserve currency with another stable currency issued by international financial institutions. How can China buy gold quietly? They make a number of direct purchases from the governments of major gold-producing nations. China now has 30 times more gold in reserves than it held in 1990.
I am not talking only about the Chinese government but also private citizens who now have permission (and encouragement from the government to allocate at least 5 % of investment!) to buy gold, something that was not possible just last year and considered as a crime. If every one of the 900 million hardworking Chinese people were to buy just one ounce of gold, it would completely absorb the production of all the world's gold mines for the next 10 years. The value of that gold at today's bargain prices would be $1.13 trillion. According to the China Gold Association, the People's Republic plans to increase its gold reserves another 374% -- to 5,000 metric tons while the export of gold is banned! Recently, China entered into an agreement with Russia, Brazil, France and several Arab states to end dollar trading for oil -- instead using a bin of currencies that includes gold. No doubt, with the U.S. dollar losing value -- exactly opposite to gold -- China should protect itself, but all these actions together could make China a future world gold supplier - a part of the world dominance plan.
Watch out, America!
A weak yuan (The renminbi or the Chinese yuan is the currency of the People's Republic of China (PRC), with the exception of Hong Kong and Macau) makes Chinese exports cheaper and is forcing American companies move offshore, grinding down support for soothing global trade rules and fanning trade disputes. While China builds the magnetic levitation train that can travel at more than 300 miles per hours back in 2003, the U.S. invested only 1/10th of 1% of GDP for infrastructure while the railroads are falling apart. By the way, China just announced that their super-speed train broke the world record.
While China invests in the largest electric grid in the world more than doubling its electrical capacity, the U.S. has a "critical mass" situation with its electrical grid that is running out of capacity to support its economy (I am not even talking about electrical cars being planned to manufacture this year). This is how one country loses the power while another one gains using all the weaknesses of the opponent. Only now, the Obama administration began talking about investing $15 billion in the U.S. infrastructure that is still a water drop in the sea comparing to what is actually required.
"The world trading system is going to blow up, or the U.S. economy is going to totally de-industrialize unless China loosens controls on its currency", said Peter Morici, a University of Maryland business professor and a former chief economist at the U.S. International Trade Commission.
It reminds me of Japan in the beginning of the 70's, the country that basically overpowered American dominance in TV and metalworking tools markets. Using honest (and not very honest) methods, manipulating the U.S. government officials by either bribing or by blackmailing, they allowed, for instance, sell TVs in Japan only after the U.S. manufacturing and technology rights were sold to Japan. With Japanese's outstanding ability to improve the technology step-by-step, Japan began to manufacture better quality products and sell them cheaper. Do you remember the American TV companies like Zenith and RCA? They went out of business. Not to mention Japanese cars vs. American?
Even now, money hungry U.S. corporations repeat the same mistake - history did not teach them a lesson. For instance, the potentially huge market in China attracted Microsoft (read below how Microsoft gave away the source code to China) as well as many other industry giants. Now, all this technology is used to advance China and give it a leading edge. It's a fact of life that U.S. consumers use most of the China-made products in daily life starting from electronics, clothes, tools, and finishing with food products including food for pets. It's even scary to imagine that if one day China would want to stop the flow of the consumer products to the American people we would face a disaster. The only thing that calms me down is the fact that Chinese probably doesn't want the U.S. to fall down severely because of a huge pile of U.S. government issued bonds that has accumulated in their hands.
However, it's a trump card in their hands that could be used if it would fit in the big plan to bring the U.S. to its knees. And who would fill the vacuum? Who would become the new superpowers? Regimes proved that they were unafraid to be ruthless to their own people (not to mention their enemies). The Chinese government dreams about restoring the world dominance of China as the greatest country. I wouldn't be surprised if they achieve their goal within next 10-15 years. Read this part of an eye-opening article from IBD.
"In the case of Communist China, we're talking about a power that was willing to embrace capitalism because its totalitarian rulers saw that it could be the key to global dominance. When students tried to use new economic freedoms as a path to political freedoms, they were soon gunned down in Tiananmen Square, or incarcerated. So why would it surprise anyone that a regime so brutal and calculating would also in 1982 provide enough highly enriched uranium to Pakistan to construct two atomic bombs, as rogue Pakistani scientist A.Q. Khan has revealed and the Washington Post reported ...? Indeed, according to Khan it was none other than Chairman Mao himself who years before approved the secret deal. Islamabad and Red China may have animosity toward India in common. But it is simply naive to believe that Beijing did not have an eye on the potential destabilization that the nuclear empowerment of a hard-line Islamist regime would have on Western democracies.
"If New York were hit with a terrorist nuclear device, the Chinese would be the first to offer medical assistance, blankets, and toys," say nuclear weapons experts Thomas C. Reed and Danny B. Stillman in "The Nuclear Express," a book based in part on visits to Chinese nuclear facilities. "But the fact is," they add, "with New York down and the dollar discredited, the mandarins of China would be the last men standing. China would emerge as the world's pre-eminent economic power, with the clout to allocate energy resources as it saw fit."
China and Russia together have for many years helped Iran build nuclear facilities, which we now know Tehran's Islamofascist regime is using with the aim of building weapons. From providing technical information stolen from the West to aiding missile development to helping construct Iran's Bushehr plant, Moscow has been indispensable to the mullahs' nuclear ambitions. And again, to believe that former KGB agent Vladimir Putin only has economic gains in mind, or regional advantage, is naive. The bloodthirstiness of totalitarianism is at the core of China and Russia's proliferation efforts on behalf of Islamic powers. The Cold War may be over, but their malevolent global designs are not." (IBD, 11/13/09)
"If New York were hit with a terrorist nuclear device, the Chinese would be the first to offer medical assistance, blankets, and toys," say nuclear weapons experts Thomas C. Reed and Danny B. Stillman in "The Nuclear Express," a book based in part on visits to Chinese nuclear facilities. "But the fact is," they add, "with New York down and the dollar discredited, the mandarins of China would be the last men standing. China would emerge as the world's pre-eminent economic power, with the clout to allocate energy resources as it saw fit."
Financial and economic power these days gives China a clear advantage over the U.S. that struggles with economy and job market. No wonder our Democratic government tries to please the Chinese government in order to improve relations and allow more importing of American made products and technologies to China to bring the huge deficit balance down. The U.S. trade deficit with China widened in September 2009 to $22.1 billion from $20.2 billion, the highest in nearly a year.
Business Week mentioned: A day after President Obama left Asia after an 8-day visit, Jon Huntsman, the American ambassador in Beijing, tried to counter the spin in the media that his boss's China visit didn't go so well. China, having a leading edge now, can simply ignore U.S. requests or, perhaps, yield in small things but resist in a big way by following its own big plans.
Enough about China's global plans -- get familiar with their "cyber force".
Continue to PART II
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