Bahrain, Kuwait affected by alleged China cyber spying attack

A group of Canadian researchers have uncovered an alleged cyber spying network that has affected over 1,200 computers in 103 countries, including Bahrain and Kuwait.

The 10-month investigation was conducted at the request of the Tibetan community found that computers originating in China have exploited a vast network of computers around the world based on Trojan Horse programmes or other malware-based applications.

The investigators discovered that the attackers -- in a network dubbed GhostNet-- were able to gain complete, real-time control of infected computers, including searching and downloading specific files, and covertly operating attached devices, such as microphones and web cameras.

According to the report posted at the University of Toronto's CitizenLab, the majority of alleged attacks was directed at the offices of the Dalai Lama, high-value South Asian and South-East Asian countries. However, the Embassy of India in Kuwait and the Embassy of Pakistan in Bahrain were both said to have been attacked.

Although the attacks appear to originate in several Chinese provinces, there is no conclusive evidence the Chinese government is involved in this case of cyber espionage. Researchers found that the hackers controlled their targets using servers in different provinces in China -- Hainan, Guangdong and Sichuan -- while a fourth was discovered to be in Southern California.

In an article in Sunday's New York Times, a spokesman for the Chinese Consulate in New York dismissed the idea that China was involved. "These are old stories and they are nonsense," the spokesman, Wenqi Gao, said. "The Chinese government is opposed to and strictly forbids any cybercrime."