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The FBI investigating hacking of Covid research by “PRC-affiliated cyber actors”

fbi.gov

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Re: The FBI investigating hacking of Covid research by “PRC-affiliated cyber actors”

#2

Post by bt1a »

I've always wondered how you can be so sure it's PRC in the age of easily being able to mask your true IP address. Perhaps the identified attacks have been previously linked with the PRC, or another option is that the actors were not as covert as they thought.

Like remember the indictment of 12 russians ( https://www.justice.gov/file/1080281/download )

The FBI linked a pool of bitcoins used to purchase a VPN service and other things to the Russians. Probably best to not use a crypto with a public ledger for criminal activity.

Re: The FBI investigating hacking of Covid research by “PRC-affiliated cyber actors”

#3

Post by elliekelly »

I appreciate that there’s probably a lot I don’t know or understand about the national security aspects of this but it seems wrong to not share as much information as possible with as many researchers as possible in order to help as many as people as possible. Protecting security interests is one thing but this press release specifically mentions protecting intellectual property and that seems kind of tone deaf.

I also wish they would explain how treatment options are jeopardized, even at a high level:

> The potential theft of this information jeopardizes the delivery of secure, effective, and efficient treatment options.

Re: The FBI investigating hacking of Covid research by “PRC-affiliated cyber actors”

#4

Post by Aaronstotle »

bt1a wrote: post #2

I've always wondered how you can be so sure it's PRC in the age of easily being able to mask your true IP address. Perhaps the identified attacks have been previously linked with the PRC, or another option is that the actors were not as covert as they thought. Like remember the indictment of 12 russians ( https://www.justice.gov/file/1080281/download ) The FBI linked a pool of bitcoins used to purchase a VPN service…

Should have used Monero

Re: The FBI investigating hacking of Covid research by “PRC-affiliated cyber actors”

#8

Post by mcphage »

pessimizer wrote: post #6

Why would they be press-releasing this other than to drive public opinion against China?

To publicize the fact that these sort of attacks can be tracked. Similar to when they publish information about particularly crafty drug houses they bust: so that people planning on building a drug house think "well, if they got that house, then they'll definitely find out the one I'm planning, so maybe I'd better not."

Re: The FBI investigating hacking of Covid research by “PRC-affiliated cyber actors”

#9

Post by toshk »

bt1a wrote: post #2

I've always wondered how you can be so sure it's PRC in the age of easily being able to mask your true IP address. Perhaps the identified attacks have been previously linked with the PRC, or another option is that the actors were not as covert as they thought. Like remember the indictment of 12 russians ( https://www.justice.gov/file/1080281/download ) The FBI linked a pool of bitcoins used to purchase a VPN service…

Same here. I remember once I was watching the news and they claimed a hack was done by Russians because they found Russian comments in the code. That didn't sound very convincing :). The ledger evidence sounds better.

At the same time in this case I would be more surprised if the PRC , since their need for control, and since the stakes are extremely high, wasn't doing such things.

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