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Malware Probes Find A China Angle

2021-01-02T05:03:22Z

VeronaRoman79:

id="article-body" class="row" section="article-body"> China is coming under scrutiny as the possible source of malicious software and Internet attacks directed at foreign governments and other institutions. A pair of recent research reports have cast some light on shadowy online initiatives with roots in China. Completed separately, both reports--"Tracking GhostNet," from the [ Munk Centre for International Studies in Toronto], and "The snooping dragon," from the University of Cambridge Computer Laboratory--address the Chinese government's efforts to monitor the activities of the Dalai Lama and the governing of Tibet. Asked about the reports, analysts in China say that such claims are exaggerated and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] politically motivated, [ according to CNN]. Meanwhile, Vietnamese security firm BKIS says it has come across clues suggesting that the Conficker worm, which is supposed to start communicating with computers on April 1, [/news/conficker-worm-might-originate-in-china/ may have Chinese origins]. BKIS reported Monday that it spotted similarities between Conficker's code and that of the 2001 Nimda virus, though in both cases the findings are not at all definitive. In "[ Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network]," issued over the weekend, the Canadian researchers say that the GhostNet comprises 1,295 infected computers in 103 countries, almost one third of them being "high-value targets, including ministries of foreign affairs, [ embassies], international organizations, news media, and NGOs." Despite going into great detail about how the GhostNet operates, and acknowledging the Chinese government's interest in the strategic exploitation of cyberspace, the Munk Centre researchers stop short of pointing fingers directly at a perpetrator: The capabilities of GhostNet are far-reaching. The report reveals that Tibetan computer systems were compromised giving attackers access to potentially sensitive information, including documents from the private office of the Dalai Lama. The report presents evidence showing that numerous computer systems were compromised in ways that [http://edublogs.org/?s=circumstantially circumstantially] point to China as the culprit. But the report is careful not to draw conclusions about the exact motivation or the identity of the attacker(s), or how to accurately characterize this network of infections as a whole. The report argues that attribution can be obscured. The breaches tended to stem from a so-called social-engineering exploit, in which targets in the Tibetan community were sent an e-mail that appeared to be from the address campaigns@freetibet.org and that carried an attached Word document titled "Translation of Freedom Movement ID Book for Tibetans in Exile"--and that Word document was infected with the malicious code. The compromise of targeted systems could be substantial: The system directs infected computers to download a Trojan known as gh0st RAT that allows attackers to gain complete, real-time control. These instances of gh0st RAT are consistently controlled from commercial Internet access accounts located on the island of Hainan, People's Republic of China. Our investigation reveals that GhostNet is capable of taking full control of infected computers, including searching and downloading specific files, and covertly operating attached devices, including microphones and web cameras. About 70 percent of the control servers behind the attack had Internet Protocol addresses assigned to China, but researchers also found such [http://bordersalertandready.com/?s=servers&search=Search servers] in the U.S., Sweden, South Korea, and Taiwan. Of the nearly 1,300 infected computers, Taiwan had the most, followed by the U.S., Vietnam, and India. Given that China has the world's largest Internet population, the researchers say, "the sheer number of young digital natives online can more than account for the increase in Chinese malware. With more creative people using computers, it's expected that China (and Chinese individuals) will account for a larger proportion of cybercrime." And while the Tibetan computer systems were "conclusively compromised," the report says, "it is not clear whether the attacker(s) really knew what they had penetrated, or if the information was ever exploited for commercial or intelligence value." The University of Cambridge report, "[ The snooping dragon: social-malware surveillance of the Tibetan movement]," doesn't refrain from charging that the Chinese government was directing malware attacks: "(I)t was a targeted surveillance attack designed to collect actionable intelligence for use by the police and security services of a repressive state, with potentially fatal consequences for those exposed." Both reports also addressed the broader implications of the practices and behaviors observed in the Tibet-related malware efforts, and warn of the need for increased vigilance by both IT professionals and everyday computer users. As in many other breaches, from the [/news/melissa-virus-turns-10/ Melissa virus] 10 years ago to the Conficker worm today, breaches succeeded in part because people using the computer systems failed to take precautions when surfing the Web or opening e-mail messages. The costs could be significant, according to the Cambridge University report: As social-malware attacks spread, they are bound to target people such as accounts-payable and payroll staff who use computers to make payments. Prevention will be hard. The traditional defence against social malware in government agencies involves expensive and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quốc] intrusive measures that range from mandatory access controls to tiresome operational security procedures. These will not be sustainable in the economy as a whole. Evolving practical low-cost defences against social-malware attacks will be a real challenge. See also: [/news/conficker-worm-might-originate-in-china/ Conficker worm might originate in China] [/news/60-minutes-whats-next-for-the-conficker-worm/ '60 Minutes': What's next for Conficker worm?] [/news/u-k-parliament-computers-get-confickered/ U.K. parliament computers get Confickered] [ ] [/news/melissa-virus-turns-10/ Melissa virus turns 10] [#comments Comments] [/topics/security/ Notification on Notification off Security]

World apos;s Rarest Ape Could Be Saved By Artificial Rope Bridges

2021-01-01T08:04:26Z

VeronaRoman79:

Rope bridges could help save the world's rarest primate — the Hainan gibbon, Nomascus hainanus — by helping them cross gaps in their forest habitat. Experts who suspended ropes some 30 feet above ground across a damaged patch of forest 52 feet wide have filmed the gibbons using the bridge for the first time. The Hainan gibbon — only found on the island of the same name in the South [/news/china/index.html China] Sea — is [/sciencetech/article-8375871/Hope-Hainan-Gibbon-saved-extinction.html the most critically endangered primate], with a population of only 30. Less than two feet tall, the gibbons have thin bodies, with long arms and legs, while adult males and juveniles have a jet black coat. Adult females are golden yellow. It lives an arboreal — or tree-based — life and experts say that it has never been seen on the ground, meaning that it needs our help to cross gaps in its habitat. The same approach can be used to link up isolated patches of forests elsewhere in the world and expand the habitats of endangered apes, the team said. Rope bridges could help save the world's rarest primate — the Hainan gibbon, Nomascus hainanus — by helping them cross gaps in their forest habitat, pictured 'The study highlights the use and value of rope bridges to connect gaps in forest canopies,' said paper author and [http://www.dict.cc/englisch-deutsch/biologist%20Bosco.html biologist Bosco] Chan of the Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden in Hong Kong. 'Although restoring natural forest should be a priority conservation intervention, artificial canopy bridges may be useful short-term solutions.' Professional tree climbers constructed the bridge in 2015 using extra strong ropes of the type also used by mountaineers. They were tied between sturdy trees to form a crossing over a gap in the forest — caused by a natural landslide — along which the monkeys can swing and run. RELATED ARTICLES [# Previous] [# 1] [# Next] [/sciencetech/article-8714601/Fossilised-APE-tooth-unearthed-India-belongs-gibbon-ancestor.html Fossilised APE tooth unearthed in India belongs to the...] [/sciencetech/article-8427527/Humans-tell-chimps-angry-relaxed-aroused-just-listening-calls.html Lending a chimpathetic ear: Humans can tell why our primate...] [/sciencetech/article-8375871/Hope-Hainan-Gibbon-saved-extinction.html 'World's rarest primate' makes a comeback: Discovery of a...] [/sciencetech/article-8208231/Gorillas-Africa-lockdown-amid-fears-catch-coronavirus.html Gorillas in Rwanda, Uganda and the Democratic Republic of...] Share this article Share 525 shares 'The rope bridges were 7-10 metres (23-33 feet) above ground,' Dr Chan explained. 'Gibbons are strictly arboreal and very few wild ones would travel on the ground by choice. The Hainan gibbon has never been observed on the ground.' 'Artificial canopy bridges for conservation of arboreal wildlife have been applied in South America, Australia, Africa and Asia.' 'But they are not used for the conservation of gibbons, which are arguably the most threatened group of primates worldwide.' 'All of the 20 species classified are threatened with extinction by the [/sciencetech/article-8506807/European-hamster-critically-endangered-one-step-away-extinction-experts-warn.html International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List].' Dr Chan said that the gibbons were wary of the bridge at first, as they are only used to swinging on branches. In fact, it took nearly six months for them to build up the courage to use it to cross the landslide. Females and small juveniles preferred it most. Mothers were filmed displaying their acrobatic abilities — as babies hung from their midriff. Over 15 months, 208 photographs and 53 videos were recorded by the team of the gibbons using the artificial bridge. Nine of the ten group members were observed in action — with the only exception being the adult male. Motion sensor [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] cameras captured them using climbing movements most often, followed by arm swinging. 'Larger juveniles did not use the rope bridge often and were instead regularly recorded leaping across the forest gap with the adult male,' said Dr Chan. Experts who suspended ropes some 30 feet above ground across a damaged patch of forest 52 feet wide have filmed the gibbons, pictured, using the bridge for the first time Hainan gibbons travel above ground from tree to tree. Gaps in the canopy — whether natural or manmade — can restrict populations to a specific area. This limits foraging and breeding — and increases the risk of predation by eagles, hawks and poachers. The animal is a prized pet and is also used in medicines. The makeshift canopy bridge has enabled the gibbons to travel between two areas of habitat separated by a 50 feet (15 metre) -wide gully formed by the mudslide. 'The findings suggest artificial rope bridges may help with conservation efforts. Usage frequency increased with time,' said Dr Chan. The project could help save the Hainan gibbon — and other animals at risk from climate change, deforestation and intensive farming. The Hainan gibbon — only found on the island of the same name in the South China Sea — is the most critically endangered primate , with a population of only 30 The gibbons were once distributed across half of China, according to governmental records that date back to the 17th century. They had long vanished from the mainland by the late 1950s, but their population on Hainan Island still numbered over two thousand individuals back then. However, human activity — specifically, hunting and the destruction of the ape's habitat — is to blame for their fall in numbers over the following half century. Today, the enigmatic primates occupy only a small patch of remnant rainforest, which continues to shrink. With the ongoing destruction of lowland forest, the gibbons have been forced to take up residence in less-suitable mountainous forest. The Hainan Gibbon lives an arboreal — or tree-based — life and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quốc] experts say that it has never been seen on the ground, meaning that it needs our help to cross gaps in its habitat 'Gibbon species are facing high extinction risk due to habitat loss and hunting,' Dr Chan explained. 'The effectiveness of artificial canopy bridge as a conservation tool for [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quốc giá rẻ] wild gibbons has not been widely tested, and the results are rarely published.' 'We constructed the first canopy bridge for Hainan gibbons in 2015 to facilitate passage at a natural landslide.' 'Mountaineering grade ropes were tied to sturdy trees with the help of professional tree climbers and a camera trap was installed to monitor wildlife usage.' 'The study highlights the use and value of rope bridges to connect gaps in forest canopies,' said paper author and biologist Bosco Chan of the Kadoorie Farm & Botanic Garden in Hong Kong. 'Although restoring natural forest should be a priority conservation intervention, artificial canopy bridges may be useful short-term solutions.' Professional tree climbers constructed the bridge using extra strong ropes of the type also used by mountaineers 'The world's rarest primate can use a simple artificial canopy bridge. It is a valuable conservation tool to reconnect fragmented gibbon habitats.' said Dr Chan. The 52 feet-long canopy bridge, he added, was seen to be 'used in both directions — and both females and juveniles could initiate crossing.' 'Although we cannot assess fatigue in the ropes, the dense growth of regenerated vegetation underneath the rope bridge is believed to provide a safe landing platform for the gibbons should an accidental fall happen.' 'We recommend building canopy bridges at the early stage of a forest gap restoration projects to provide temporary connectivity.' 'But reforestation with fast-growing native trees should also be simultaneously carried out as a long-term solution, where it is socioeconomically feasible.' The full findings of the study were published in the journal [ ]. The Hainan Gibbon is only found on the forested Chinese island of the same name, pictured. In the 1970s, the population of the species — the world's rarest primate — was less than ten and today numbers still only sit at around 30

AP News In Brief At 9:04 P.m. EST

2020-12-31T13:11:38Z

VeronaRoman79:

Disputing Trump, Barr says no widespread election fraud WASHINGTON (AP) - Disputing President Donald Trump´s persistent, baseless claims, Attorney General William Barr declared Tuesday the U.S. Justice Department has uncovered no evidence of widespread voter fraud that could change the outcome of the 2020 election. Barr's comments, in an interview with the The Associated Press, contradict the concerted effort by Trump, his boss, to subvert the results of last month's voting and block President-elect Joe Biden from taking his place in the White House. Barr told the AP that U.S. attorneys and FBI agents have been working to follow up specific complaints and information they´ve received, but "to date, we have not seen fraud on a scale that could have effected a different outcome in the election." The comments, which drew immediate criticism from Trump attorneys, were especially notable coming from Barr, who has been one of the president's most ardent allies. Before the election, he had repeatedly raised the notion that mail-in voting could be especially vulnerable to fraud during the coronavirus pandemic as Americans feared going to polls and instead chose to vote by mail. More to Trump's liking, Barr revealed in the AP interview that in October he had appointed U.S. Attorney John Durham as a special counsel, giving the prosecutor the authority to continue to investigate the origins of the Trump-Russia probe after Biden takes over and making it difficult to fire him. Biden hasn't said what he might do with the investigation, and his transition team didn't comment Tuesday. ___ US panel: 1st vaccines to health care workers, nursing homes NEW YORK (AP) - Health care workers and nursing home residents should be at the front of the line when the first coronavirus vaccine shots become available, an influential government advisory panel said Tuesday. The panel voted 13-1 to recommend those groups get priority in the first days of any coming vaccination program, when doses are expected to be very limited. The two groups encompass about 24 million people out of a U.S. population of about 330 million. Later this month, the Food and Drug Administration will consider authorizing emergency use of two vaccines made by Pfizer and Moderna. Current estimates project that no more than 20 million doses of each vaccine will be available by the end of 2020. And each product requires two doses. As a result, the shots will be rationed in the early stages. The Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices will meet again at some point to decide who should be next in line. Among the possibilities: teachers, police, firefighters and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ kynghidongduong.vn] workers in other essential fields such as food production and [https://www.kynghidongduong.vn/tours/du-lich-trung-quoc-gia-re/ tour trung quoc] transportation; the elderly; and people with underlying medical conditions. Tuesday's action merely designated who should get shots first if a safe and effective vaccine becomes available. The panel did not endorse any particular vaccine. Panel members are waiting to hear FDA's evaluation and to see more safety and efficacy data before endorsing any particular product. ___ 'Very dark couple of weeks': Morgues and hospitals overflow Nearly 37,000 Americans died of COVID-19 in November, the most in any month since the dark early days of the pandemic, engulfing families in grief, filling newspaper obituary pages and testing the capacity of morgues, funeral homes and hospitals. Amid the resurgence, states have begun reopening field hospitals to handle an influx of patients that is pushing health care systems - and their workers - to the breaking point. Hospitals are bringing in mobile morgues. And funerals are being livestreamed or performed as drive-by affairs. Health officials fear the crisis will be even worse in coming weeks, after many [http://search.about.com/?q=Americans Americans] ignored pleas to stay home over Thanksgiving and avoid people who don´t live with them. "I have no doubt that we´re going to see a climbing death toll ... and that´s a horrific and tragic place to be," said Josh Michaud, associate director of global health policy at the Kaiser Family Foundation. "It´s going to be a very dark couple of weeks." November's toll was far lower than the 60,699 recorded in April but perilously close to the next-highest total of almost 42,000 in May, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. Deaths had dropped to just over 20,000 in June after states closed many businesses and ordered people to stay at home. ___ US probing potential bribery, lobbying scheme for pardon WASHINGTON (AP) - The Justice Department is investigating whether there was a secret scheme to lobby White House officials for a pardon as well as a related plot to offer a hefty political contribution in exchange for clemency, according to a court document unsealed Tuesday. Most of the information in the 18-page court order is redacted, including the identity of the people whom prosecutors are investigating and whom the proposed pardon might be intended for. But the document from August does reveal that people are suspected of having acted to secretly lobby White House officials to secure a pardon or sentence commutation and that, in a related scheme, a substantial political contribution was floated in exchange for a pardon. As part of the investigation, more than 50 laptops, iPads and other digital devices have been seized, according to the document. The existence of the investigation was revealed in a court order from U.S. District Judge Beryl Howell, the chief judge of Washington's federal court, in which she granted investigators access to certain email communications connected to the alleged schemes that she said was not protected by attorney-client privilege. Prosecutors will be able to use that material to confront any subject or target of the investigation, the judge wrote. ___ In 2020, AP photographers captured a world in distress Behold, a world in distress: A 64-year-old woman weeps, hugging her husband as he lay dying in the COVID-19 unit of a California hospital. A crowded refugee camp in Lesbos, Greece, engulfed in flames, disgorges a string of migrants fleeing this hell on Earth. Rain-swept protesters, enraged by the death of George Floyd in police custody, rail against the system and the heavens. This is the world that Associated Press photographers captured in 2020, a world beset by every sort of catastrophe -- natural and unnatural disaster, violent and non-violent conflict. And, in every corner of that world, the coronavirus. There are the living: Women cover themselves head to toe with chadors, protective clothing and gas masks to prepare a body for burial in Iran. An octogenarian couple kiss through plastic in Spain. ___ Strong start to December as S&P 500 index sets another high Wall Street kicked off December with more milestones Tuesday after a broad rally for stocks pushed the S&P 500 and Nasdaq composite to new highs. The S&P 500 gained 1.1%, with Big Tech companies and banks driving a big part of the rally. The strong opening to December follows a 10.8% surge for the broad index in November, marking its best month since April. The tech-heavy Nasdaq climbed 1.3%. Both indexes beat the record highs they set on Friday. Treasury yields also rose in another sign of optimism from investors. Stocks have been ramping higher in recent weeks as investors focus on the possibility that coronavirus vaccines could soon help usher in a fuller global economic recovery. Meanwhile, lawmakers in Washington are debating once more whether to deliver another round of coronavirus relief to the economy before President Donald Trump leaves office. "It seems like both the House and the Senate are trying to break this logjam," said Sameer Samana, senior global market strategist at Wells Fargo Investment Institute. "It seems the market is feeding off that." The S&P 500 rose 40.82 points to 3,662.45. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 185.28 points, or 0.6%, to 29,823.92. The Nasdaq climbed 156.37 points to 12,355.11. Small company stocks also added to their recent gains. The Russell 2000 index picked up 16.23 points, or 0.9%, to 1,836.05. ___ Ex-Arizona politician gets 6 years in adoption scheme PHOENIX (AP) - A former Arizona politician who [http://www.zixiutangpollencapsules.com/?s=admitted admitted] running an illegal adoption scheme in three states involving women from the Marshall Islands was sentenced in Arkansas to six years in federal prison. It was the first of three punishments he´ll face for arranging adoptions prohibited by an international compact. Paul Petersen, a Republican who served as metro Phoenix´s assessor for six years and also worked as an adoption attorney, illegally paid women from the Pacific island nation to come to the U.S. to give up their babies in at least 70 adoptions cases in Arizona, Utah and Arkansas, prosecutors said. Marshall Islands citizens have been prohibited from traveling to the U.S. for adoption purposes since 2003 and prosecutors said Petersen's scheme lasted three years. Judge Timothy Brooks, who imposed the sentence from Fayetteville, Arkansas, said Petersen abused his position as an attorney by misleading or instructing others to lie to courts in adoptions that wouldn´t have been approved had the truth been told to them. The judge said Petersen turned what should be joyous adoption occasions into "a baby-selling enterprise." He also described Petersen's adoption practice as a "criminal livelihood" and said he ripped off taxpayers at the same time he was elected to serve them. ___ VIRUS TODAY: A deadly November, and who gets vaccine first Here's what's happening Tuesday with the coronavirus pandemic in the U.S.: THREE THINGS TO KNOW TODAY - A scientific panel is meeting to provide guidance on who should be at the front of the line when the first vaccine shots become available. Health care workers and nursing home residents will be among the first to get the vaccine. - More than 36,000 people died from COVID-19 in November in the United States. The monthly number is not as high as the dark days of April and May but still a sign of the deadly turn the pandemic has taken this fall. - Field hospitals are opening up again as hospital capacity runs out. Rhode Island and New York are among the places to open such facilities in recent days. ___ China spacecraft lands on moon to bring rocks back to Earth BEIJING (AP) - A Chinese spacecraft landed on the moon to bring back lunar rocks to Earth for the first time since the 1970s, the government announced. The China National Space Administration said Chang´e 5 "successfully landed" at its designated site shortly after 11 p.m. (1500 GMT) Tuesday after making a powered descent from its orbiter. It published images of the barren scene at the landing site, including where the lander's shadow can be seen. The lander was launched Nov. 24 from the tropical southern island of Hainan. It is the latest venture by a Chinese space program that sent its first astronaut into orbit in 2003, has a spacecraft en route to Mars and aims eventually to land a human on the moon. Plans call for the lander to spend about two days drilling into the lunar surface and collecting 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of rocks and debris. The sample will be lifted up into orbit and transferred to a return capsule for the trip to Earth, setting down on the grasslands of Inner Mongolia around the middle of the month. If it succeeds, it will be the first time scientists have obtained fresh samples of lunar rocks since a Soviet probe in the 1970s. Those samples are expected to be made available to scientists from other nations, although its unclear how much access NASA will have, given tight U.S. government restrictions on space cooperation with China. ___ 'Big Sky' producers recognize Native American criticism LOS ANGELES (AP) - Native American tribes and advocates are condemning "Big Sky," a Montana-set ABC drama, for ignoring the history of violence inflicted on Indigenous women and instead making whites the crime victims. They also have assailed the network and the show's producers for failing to respond to their complaints, which they first made known in a Nov. 17 letter. On Tuesday, the makers of "Big Sky" broke their silence. "After meaningful conversations with representatives of the Indigenous community, our eyes have been opened to the outsized number of Native American and Indigenous women who go missing and are murdered each year, a sad and shocking fact," the executive producers said in a statement to The Associated Press. "We are grateful for this education and are working with Indigenous groups to help bring attention to this important issue," according to the statement. The producers include David E. Kelley ("Big Little Lies," "The Undoing") and novelist C.J. Box, whose 2013 book "The Highway" was adapted for the series. Created by Kelley, "Big Sky" stars Katheryn Winnick and Kylie Bunbury as private detectives searching for two white sisters on a road trip who go missing and turn out to be part of a pattern of abductions.

User:VeronaRoman79

2020-12-31T13:11:26Z

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