Facebook then Apple, now Microsoft

Wondered whether to post this in military / warfare or science and tech - the persistent attacks on major software companies originating from China.

Facebook first - then Apple and now Microsoft.

We all know it goes on but this is a form of warfare from outside a country's borders. Question is, what should the response be?

Infinite Chaos said:

Wondered whether to post this in military / warfare or science and tech - the persistent attacks on major software companies originating from China.

Facebook first - then Apple and now Microsoft.

We all know it goes on but this is a form of warfare from outside a country's borders. Question is, what should the response be?

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I'm actually serious.

Install free (as in liberty) or open source software. eace

Canell said:

Install free (as in liberty) or open source software. eace

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Antitrust (2001) - IMDb

Milo Hoffman wants his poorly written idealistic line back!

The funny part of the Microsoft part of the story.... it was their Mac PCs that got hacked Now before people go all nuts about Microsoft having Mac PCs... remember the main Office system on Mac is from Microsoft, so of course they have Macs to test and use it on. The point is... it was the Macs at Apple and Microsoft that were hacked.. and most likely at Facebook as well.

I have heard there are some pretty sophisticated programs out there designed to target and defeat the positive pay safeguards already by authorizing checks in the infected computers and then transmitting the info to the users who can then forge the checks and have them clear.

Fisher said:

I have heard there are some pretty sophisticated programs out there designed to target and defeat the positive pay safeguards already by authorizing checks in the infected computers and then transmitting the info to the users who can then forge the checks and have them clear.

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Yep..

Or the system where your PC gets infected and when you go to your bank site it is in fact a fake site. You log-in as normal, and your account looks normal. In the mean while the hackers use the login and password you just provided them and log-in on the real banking site and start moving your money elsewhere.

Infinite Chaos said:

Wondered whether to post this in military / warfare or science and tech - the persistent attacks on major software companies originating from China.

Facebook first - then Apple and now Microsoft.

We all know it goes on but this is a form of warfare from outside a country's borders. Question is, what should the response be?

Click to expand...

to let foxconn build every single piece of American electronics, of course. it's cheaper, after all.

PeteEU said:

The funny part of the Microsoft part of the story.... it was their Mac PCs that got hacked Now before people go all nuts about Microsoft having Mac PCs... remember the main Office system on Mac is from Microsoft, so of course they have Macs to test and use it on. The point is... it was the Macs at Apple and Microsoft that were hacked.. and most likely at Facebook as well.

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Have you got a link to this? I've read nothing about Microsoft being hacked through their Apple test computers...

Infinite Chaos said:

Have you got a link to this? I've read nothing about Microsoft being hacked through their Apple test computers...

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Microsoft says small number of its computers hacked | Reuters

Microsoft Corp said on Friday a small number of its computers, including some in its Mac software business unit, were infected with malware

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Yes it does not directly say it was Mac computers, but considering the 3 who were "hacked" and then it is more than likely it was their Mac's. Apple certainly uses Mac's, and Microsoft says it was computers in their Mac division... not likely it was the Windows machines since they name the Mac division specifically, and then we have Facebook, who from many many documentaries I have seen... use Mac's.

Helix said:

to let foxconn build every single piece of American electronics, of course. it's cheaper, after all.

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They already do. Foxconn is the biggest supplier of bits and bobs for electronics in the world.

PeteEU said:

They already do. Foxconn is the biggest supplier of bits and bobs for electronics in the world.

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yes, I'm aware of that. my point was that maybe having them manufacture every piece of electronics isn't a great idea when their country's military is hacking us.

as I stated previously in another thread, I'm almost relieved that they had to hack us. if I were running the show, I'd consider just introducing some physical backdoor into the circuitry of the devices so that I had access to the data without hacking. I'm sure such tech is possible, and those who want the data are making the products. not a great situation.

Helix said:

yes, I'm aware of that. my point was that maybe having them manufacture every piece of electronics isn't a great idea when their country's military is hacking us.

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And to be fair the US military has been hacking, spying and worse against allies and enemies for decades. You dont hear the rest of the world complain (much) about Intel and AMD processors and the security risk they may or may not have.

And to be fair... it is the "usual" suspects accusing the Chinese.. the same people and types who claimed that Saddam had WMD. I am not saying that they are not right, I am saying you have to take all accusations with a grain of salt. Stuxnet was after all an American-Israeli cluster**** that was released to the world and the first major acknowledged attempt of country vs country hacking (putting clues in the code was not the smartest idea....). It might have set back the Iranian nuclear program, but it also put a very powerful hacking tool into the hands of the world and it was the first real shot in this high tech war.

as I stated previously in another thread, I'm almost relieved that they had to hack us. if I were running the show, I'd consider just introducing some physical backdoor into the circuitry of the devices so that I had access to the data without hacking. I'm sure such tech is possible, and those who want the data are making the products. not a great situation.

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Such tech is possible and exists. There are backdoors in much software.... some deliberate.. some not. For example.. if I remember right, a few years ago, Apple got busted for having a backdoor in their firmware/bios on their computers that made it possible for them to remotely access any Mac out there. They claimed "security" of course but when they had not changed the standard password from manufacturing... it basically meant anyone could access any Mac. Yes it was patched, but only after they were exposed.

PeteEU said:

Microsoft says small number of its computers hacked | Reuters

Yes it does not directly say it was Mac computers, but considering the 3 who were "hacked" and then it is more than likely it was their Mac's. Apple certainly uses Mac's, and Microsoft says it was computers in their Mac division... not likely it was the Windows machines since they name the Mac division specifically, and then we have Facebook, who from many many documentaries I have seen... use Mac's.

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I think you built a whole story that ignored the word "including." That article doesn't state that the hackers specifically only targeted the Macs at Microsoft.

Infinite Chaos said:

I think you built a whole story that ignored the word "including." That article doesn't state that the hackers specifically only targeted the Macs at Microsoft.

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Never said they only targeted Mac's. The flaw was in a 3rd party software that was automatically patched on most Windows Machines, where as updates for Mac's has to go through Apple and that means it takes a lot of time. Instead Apple has remotely removed the software in question... talk about a backdoor.. instead of allowing the fix of the software.

Another major point is that Apple has an aura of being virus/malware free, and yet here we know specifically that Apple Macs were infected at major companies....

PeteEU said:

Never said they only targeted Mac's. The flaw was in a 3rd party software that was automatically patched on most Windows Machines, where as updates for Mac's has to go through Apple and that means it takes a lot of time. Instead Apple has remotely removed the software in question... talk about a backdoor.. instead of allowing the fix of the software.

Another major point is that Apple has an aura of being virus/malware free, and yet here we know specifically that Apple Macs were infected at major companies....

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Your first post was a deliberate attempt to show that Macs were the way that hackers broke into Microsoft, now you're backtracking.

Infinite Chaos said:

Your first post was a deliberate attempt to show that Macs were the way that hackers broke into Microsoft, now you're backtracking.

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No and no. I pointed out the Macs because that was the "news". Everyone expects it to be Windows machines that are hacked only and in this case Macs where singled out. I am not backtracking on anything... it seems you are being defensive about Apple

Cyber warfare is par for the course now. It's not like the U.S. isn't hacking other countries. Anyone with the expertise is doing it. If you don't like it, get better security or get off the grid.

PeteEU said:

The funny part of the Microsoft part of the story.... it was their Mac PCs that got hacked Now before people go all nuts about Microsoft having Mac PCs... remember the main Office system on Mac is from Microsoft, so of course they have Macs to test and use it on. The point is... it was the Macs at Apple and Microsoft that were hacked.. and most likely at Facebook as well.

Click to expand...

PeteEU said:

Never said they only targeted Mac's. The flaw was in a 3rd party software that was automatically patched on most Windows Machines, where as updates for Mac's has to go through Apple and that means it takes a lot of time. Instead Apple has remotely removed the software in question... talk about a backdoor.. instead of allowing the fix of the software.

Another major point is that Apple has an aura of being virus/malware free, and yet here we know specifically that Apple Macs were infected at major companies....

Click to expand...

PeteEU said:

No and no. I pointed out the Macs because that was the "news". Everyone expects it to be Windows machines that are hacked only and in this case Macs where singled out. I am not backtracking on anything... it seems you are being defensive about Apple

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C'mon Pete, this is too easy. Your source article specifically stated (unless the story has been updated since you linked it) that the attack included Macs. It's you trying to state it was only the Macs got hacked. I'm not defensive about Apple - just noting your defensiveness about Microsoft PCs.

:2wave:

Infinite Chaos said:

C'mon Pete, this is too easy. Your source article specifically stated (unless the story has been updated since you linked it) that the attack included Macs. It's you trying to state it was only the Macs got hacked. I'm not defensive about Apple - just noting your defensiveness about Microsoft PCs.

:2wave:

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Where in what I wrote did I state it was only Macs?

PeteEU said:

Where in what I wrote did I state it was only Macs?

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C'mon Pete. I've posted your evidence. If you meant to say Microsoft's Macs AND PCs, you would have said so.

Infinite Chaos said:

C'mon Pete. I've posted your evidence. If you meant to say Microsoft's Macs AND PCs, you would have said so.

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No, because why post that PCs had been hacked? That is normal.. it is not normal that Macs are being hacked.. or so Apple claims of course.

PeteEU said:

-- why post that PCs had been hacked?

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It wouldn't have helped your anti-Apple crusade.