MI5 warns banks of Chinese hackers

[photopress:it_chinese_hacker.jpg,full,alignright]The UK's top internal security spook, Jonathan Evans, has warned 300 chief executives and security chiefs at banks, accounting and legal firms that China has been carrying out state-sponsored espionage against vital parts of Britain's economy, including the computer systems of big banks and financial services firms.

A confidential letter from the director-general of MI5 warns of attacks from 'Chinese state organisations', including attempts to crack Whitehall passwords.

This is a load of nonsense. So why was this singularly daft statement made? Spin. Controlling the news. Giving the press a different story.

The problem is that massive security breaches in Britain have allowed the financial details of thousands, probably tens of thousands, of Britons to be sold on the Internet.

Without paying anything The Times successfully downloaded banking information belonging to 32 people including a High Court Judge and a managing director.

According to the Times there are more than 100 websites trafficking British Bank details. The bank details of Robert Seabrook QC, a deputy judge and former chairman of the Bar Council, were freely available. He said, 'I am profoundly shocked.'

The News of the World in England said it has been handed two disks contain the National Insurance numbers of 18,000 claimants.

So if, as a government, you are deeply in the poo regarding the security on your computers and the press is baying at your heels what do you do?

Start another story which suggests that someone, and China will do splendidly, is hacking into your computers. And issue a report: a report that claims computer programs traced back to China have been trying to crack Whitehall passwords and to uncover weak spots in the UK IT infrastructure.

Judging by recent news from the UK there is no need to uncover weak spots. They are in plain view.

Finally, a BBC news report which is dated April 7, 2005.

The UK intelligence community is facing problems and delays with important new computer systems, a report has found.
A communication system linking UK intelligence agencies, called Scope, is three years behind schedule, MPs say.
The parliamentary intelligence and security committee also found an overhaul of MI5's computer system to be over-budget and below capability.
The government said MI5 had taken steps to combat its problems, and delays to Scope helped to ensure a robust system.

Not much has changed since then. Except the government and MI5 have both learned spin control. When you stuff it up point the finger at someone else.
Sources: Financial Times and research.