“Wasn’t me. Didn’t see me do it” – Bart Simpson
From the Associated Press:
China on Friday denied allegations that its operatives secretly copied the contents of a U.S. government laptop computer and used the data to try to hack into Commerce Department computers.
U.S. authorities say they are investigating whether surreptitious copying took place when a laptop was left unattended during a visit to China by Commerce Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez for trade talks last December.
Shortly afterward, three serious attempts at data break-ins at the Commerce Department were reported, according to U.S. officials.
In Beijing’s first comments on the allegations, Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Chinese officials knew nothing about the laptop cited in the reports. He repeated China’s claim that it too was a victim of cybercrime.
OK, there was a point where I was willing to play along. I figured it was a Bush administration tactic to point at the Chinese and say, “there, baddies”. But, with France, Australia, India and others all singing the same tune one has to wonder. Especially when you take into account this interview by CNN with Chinese hackers in March. I don’t doubt that the Chinese have hackers all countries do.
Is it all a media gambit or is there a clear and present danger? I know the Chinese government are no fans of mine.
