back to article Hackers of Japanese military contractor fluent in Chinese

Software used to breach the security of a Japanese maker of sensitive weapons systems contained simplified Chinese characters, making it difficult for those who don't speak the language to carry out the hack, Japan's biggest daily newspaper reported. A computer screen used by attackers to remotely control infected computers …

COMMENTS

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  1. jake Silver badge

    Probably students from UCLA, Berkeley or Stanford having a lark ;-)

    Am I joking? Probably ... First thing that popped into my head, though. The August time-frame points at bored students getting ready to get back to class ...

  2. SJRulez
    Mushroom

    The US Preach

    'According to The New York Times, United States officials have issued a stern warning over the attacks over Japan's ability to handle delicate information.'

    Americans track record is no better but as usual they can still preach to others.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    People in glass houses

    "United States officials have issued a stern warning over the attacks over Japan's ability to handle delicate information"

    Oh yeah the Amerikans are doing so much better themselves in this respect... their military industrial complex can't have much left to steal now.

    I would suspect the disclosed hacks are just the tip of the iceberg.

    1. tmTM

      At least

      our data is safe, potting around the country on the many buses officials leave it on.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Pots...Kettles...

    "According to The New York Times, United States officials have issued a stern warning over the attacks over Japan's ability to handle delicate information"

    This from the same country that leaks like a sieve?

  5. James Micallef Silver badge
    Devil

    Pot, kettle

    "United States officials have issued a stern warning over the attacks over Japan's ability to handle delicate information"

    Yes, because US systems are totally hack-proof aren't they?

  6. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Simplified Chinese characters?

    Do they mean hanzi? Which, in writing, is the same as Japanese kanji?

    When you're talking about Chinese / Japanese communication phrases like "those who don't speak the language" are either very literal of meaningless.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Simplified vs traditional chinese characters

      Kanji uses traditional chinese characters as does Taiwan and other countries. Mainland China changed to using 'simplified' characters which although many of the characters are similar, some can be quite different to read and are really a different written language. A person used to Traditional characters would not necessarily be able to read the simplified ones.

      Take a look at the wikipedia page http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hanzi - there is an example on the right which will help you visualise the difference

    2. Francis Boyle Silver badge

      No

      they mean Simplified Chinese as in the modification of the traditional Chinese writing system developed for use in the PRC. (That last bit being, I suspect, significant).

  7. mhenriday
    Big Brother

    Or perhaps, as Professor Tsuchiya Motohiro -

    cited in the English-language Yomiuri article (interestingly enough, I have been unable to find a Japanese-language version on the Yomiuri website) - suggests, the simplified graphs constitute a way to cover one's tracks and point the finger at those dastardly Chinese, everybody's, not least the Reg's favourite bête noire. Perhaps the butler didn't do it after all ?...

    Henri

    1. mhenriday

      Update :

      After more searching (using Google, not the Yomuri's own website), I did find a related article, dated 22 September, in the Japanese language Yomiuri (http://www.yomiuri.co.jp/net/security/goshinjyutsu/20110922-OYT8T00985.htm), but it contained no reference to Professor Tsuchiya....

  8. Electric Panda
    Stop

    'According to The New York Times, United States officials have issued a stern warning over the attacks over Japan's ability to handle delicate information.'

    When you consider that Sony are a Japanese company and recount what happened to PSN, then you could be forgiven for thinking the Americans have a valid point here.

    Mind you, all this from a country that allows bottom level Private soldiers to copy confidential files onto CD-RWs and release them onto the net...

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