Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Scary Chinese Security
Strategy Page ^ | February 20, 2010

Posted on 02/20/2010 3:14:50 PM PST by myknowledge

One of the Internet security companies (McAfee) that monitors hacker activity (by compiling data on attacks their clients have suffered), estimates that more computers are being turned into zombies in China, than in the United States. At least during the last three months of 2009. Both countries have about 12 million zombie computers.

Many of 1.5 billion computers in the world are infected with secret programs that enable criminals, or intelligence agencies, to control these PCs, turning them into "zombies". These captive computers are organized into "botnets" of thousands, or even a million or more, PCs that do the bidding of their controllers. The most common use of botnets is transmitting spam, and secret programs that create more zombies, or steal information (government secrets, or your banking information.)

Most owners of zombiefied computers didn't even realize their PCs had been taken over. Some with heavily infected machines, do notice that the malware slows down the PC, and there have been cases where the user just went out and bought a new computer. Usually, reformatting the hard drive and reinstalling your software works, and is a lot cheaper. But most computer users today don't know how to reformat a hard drive, or even get someone to do it for them.

Meanwhile, computer security companies equip their anti-virus software with the ability to remove the secret software that turns PCs into zombies. The most successful of these efforts has Microsoft's, which automatically updates its operating system and its security software, and removes secret hacker software in the process. This effort has set over ten million zombie computers free from their control software.

Chinese PCs are particularly vulnerable to getting zombified because most of them use stolen operating system software, and have less security software installed. Thus while the Chinese government is the most aggressive user of hackers, and zombie computers, for espionage purposes, the 200 million PCs in China are more vulnerable to such attacks than those in Western nations.


TOPICS: Computers/Internet; Miscellaneous
KEYWORDS: antivirus; china; computersecurity; zombiecomputers
Chinese PCs are particularly vulnerable to getting zombified because most of them use stolen operating system software, and have less security software installed. Thus while the Chinese government is the most aggressive user of hackers, and zombie computers, for espionage purposes, the 200 million PCs in China are more vulnerable to such attacks than those in Western nations.

That's one weakness the U.S. 24th Air Force (the cyber warfare command) surely can exploit on the ChiComs.


1 posted on 02/20/2010 3:14:51 PM PST by myknowledge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: myknowledge

There are no known current Mac Zombie networks
Sounds like a good idea to avoid Windows installations
for sites where there is sensitive data

This could, of course, change in the future


2 posted on 02/20/2010 3:36:19 PM PST by HangnJudge
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: myknowledge

Firewall, deny link, scrub with Malware bytes and Super-Antispyware. Not rocket science folks.


3 posted on 02/20/2010 3:49:59 PM PST by ScreamingFist
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: myknowledge

/internets


4 posted on 02/20/2010 3:52:08 PM PST by happinesswithoutpeace (We are unable to transmit through conscious neural interference.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: HangnJudge

Unless the Chinese were still dependent on Micro$oft Windoze OSes.


5 posted on 02/20/2010 4:04:02 PM PST by myknowledge (F-22 Raptor: World's Largest Distributor of Sukhoi parts!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson