New Research On Computer Backdoors Reveals Disturbing Long Term Risks For All Netizens

Nov 052012
 

Research by the University of Toronto Citizen Lab shows that computer back doors are a permanent security risk to users through out the world.

Their research based on events in the middle east demonstrates readily available commercial software is being used by governments to infiltrate computers used by critics and dissidents.

Bloomberg news reported the case of Ahmed Mansoor who was sitting in “his study in Dubai and made the mistake of clicking on a Microsoft Word attachment that arrived in an e-mail, labeled “very important” in Arabic, from a sender he thought he recognized.

“With that click, the pro-democracy activist unwittingly downloaded spyware that seized on a flaw in the Microsoft Corp. (MSFT) program to take over his computer and record every keystroke. The hackers infiltrated his digital life so deeply they still accessed his personal e-mail even after he changed his password.

Since then, Mansoor, 42, an electrical engineer and father of four, says he has suffered two beatings by thugs in September during his campaign for citizens’ civil rights in the Persian Gulf federation of the United Arab Emirates. While those assailants remain unknown, researchers say they’ve figured out what was behind the virtual assault.

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Coverage Of Norodom Sihanouk’s Death Shows The Legacy Of Censorship

Oct 182012
 

When the news broke that former Cambodian King, Norodom Sihanouk, had died aged 89 in hospital in China journalists around the world reached for the archives to construct an obituary.

In those files and archives is material about events that occurred 40 years ago at the height of the war in Vietnam.  Some of those events were censored by the United States or its allies. And even now, when much of that information has come to light or has been officially acknowledged, still the earlier misleading censored versions are quoted in articles such as those on the death of Cambodia’s former king.

There is no need to go through every error in the coverage but one example can be found in coverage attributed to the AP bureau in Phnom Penh. There is no suggestion that the author wittingly mislead readers in what was a generally well written and objective piece of journalism. Instead it seems to demonstrate how censorship has a short and long term affect on reportage.

The paragraph in question was:  “Sihanouk’s top priority was to keep Cambodia out of the war, but he could not. U.S. aircraft bombed Vietnamese communist sanctuaries in Cambodia with increasing regularity, and his protests were ignored.”

The U.S. aircraft not only bombed communist sanctuaries, they made the whole country a free fire zone, records show that vast amounts of ordnance some of it experimental was dropped all over the country as far as the Thai border to the west and in areas as isolated as the Cardomom mountains  – a long way from the action.

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China’s Netizens’ “Human Flesh Search” Is Online Activism At Its Best

Oct 052012
 

China’s netizens are using the internet to search out information on people caught committing vile acts such as officials who smirk at the spectacle of victims in a flaming bus wreck and do nothing to assist through to wanton cruelty to animals.

These people have been caught on camera, usually camera phones, and then their images uploaded. From there  hoards of netizens work to identify these people, find out their jobs, spending habits, family connections and then publish the information.

And it has proved to be remarkably effective. Officials have been canned and others charged with criminal offenses.

Humiliation is a very effective tool against the arrogant and the abusers of power.  It reflects on their bosses who do not like to be seen as out of touch, complicit or incompetent.

Unlike Wikileaks the Human Flesh Search is a ground up movement which assembles information locally, rapidly and gets it out quickly.

It will not get the publicity of wikileaks but it is very likely to be a much more effective tool for change in several ways.

It holds the Rule of Law up to public scrutiny but in a way that cannot be buried in a court case, censored or ignored because those methods would only add to the story and make it bigger.

It is said “the best disinfectant is sunlight” and so it is with malfeasance and official corruption hold it up to the light and it will dissolve.

It may just be that when Chinese Officialdom sees the positive results of free access to information and the right to disseminate it they may embrace it albeit slowly.

Someone once said that the most serious offense  British diplomats could make was not to secretly spy on their hosts, foment rebellion in the nation or indeed support a brutal regime; no the worst sin imaginable was to embarrass the Government.

So it is not specific to China or any Asian country; no-one likes to look a fool so maybe this will be the start of democratic change in China.

Much of the information for this blog came from an article in Tea Leaf Nation which is an excellent ezine and well worth keeping an eye on.

The article by Jessica Levine, a Johns Hopkins University graduate student, is copied in full below.

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Online Information Sharing Has More Than Virtual Dangers In China

Oct 032012
 

The focus on censorship, monitoring and other invasive, anti-free speech, state sponsored activities in China tends to be on the virtual domain.

But there is very real danger to speaking out in any forum. The recent case of Wang Zhongping  clearly demonstrates the dangers of uncovering the dirty secrets of those in power.

Wang was found dead in prison apparently having committed  suicide, but given the  condition of his body which indicated recent beatings and other abuse his friends and family say he was murdered. Netizens have now taken up the cause and there is considerable online debate.

And what did Wang do to end up in jail? He blew the whistle on embezzlement and corruption by high ranking party officials.

It is a timely reminder that while we may feel safe sitting behind a computer in the virtual world it is as well to remember that saying the wrong thing can lead to horrific consequences in the real one.

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South Korea Finds Common Ground With The North In Censorship Policies

Sep 212012
 

While it is good to see North and South Korea find shared interests and activities. It is hardly comforting when that unity is censorship.

South Korea has begun  an internet crackdown blocking twitter accounts that mock the President, bringing criminal defamation cases against people involved in legitimate criticism of  government policy and even firing a judge who wrote that the “the president (“His Highness”) was out to “screw” Internet users who challenged his authority,” according to a report in the NY Times.

It really should be a guiding principle in South Korea that if the North does it then it probably is a mistake.  Sadly they seem to be ignoring this when it comes to the internet.

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New Report Shows Mixed Fortunes For Online Freedoms In the Asia Pacific Region In 2011

Jan 202012
 

Censorship and online controls eased in Burma (Myanmar), Thailand and several other Asian countries last year but there were major clampdowns in China and several south asian countries according to a report just released by media and democracy watch dog Freedom House.

The report cites the success of the Arab Spring in overthrowing governments in the middle east as having prompted the hardening attitudes in China. Leaders there were keen the movement did not replicate itself on their doorstep.

The full report can be read here: Freedom in the World 2012.

Meanwhile the entry for China is available at: Freedom House China 2012

Google Releases Raw Data On Internet Take-Down And Removal Requests In Move Towards Greater Transparency

Oct 152011
 

Google is releasing raw data about which countries have asked it to remove content or take down websites.

The data was gathered as part of its transparency report and the company is hoping that by making the data available in machine readable CSV format developers and researchers will be able to use it as the basis for further investigation and analysis.

These requests include those from law enforcement agencies investigation online fraud and similar illegal activities but they also include requests that are politically motivated. Defining the latter requests is likely to be problematic. What maybe seen as political repression by people outside China and Burma may be seen as a maintaining social order by the authorities in those countries.

However that aside the availability of the raw data is likely to see some interesting and illuminating analysis once some of the technical issues are worked through.

Pictured below is an example from Google of the data release.

Egypt transparency report

Google has encouraged developers to use the raw data from its Transparency Reports on takedown requests and web access to conduct new research. Image credit: Google

UK online tech ezine ZD NET  said the company launched its Transparency Report around a year ago, in an effort to be explicit about the levels of content removal and user data requests it must process. During that time, the dashboard has been useful in showing, for example, how many scam ads Google has taken down, or which services are blocked or allowed in certain countries.

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Chinese Officials Take Control Of Two Beijing Newspapers Known For Independent Reporting

Sep 062011
 

There has been a further crackdown on press freedoms in China with the Beijing propaganda bureau taking control of two newspapers who have been developing a reputation for vigorous, independent reporting.

The move comes amidst tightening controls for online and socail media access in the wake of uprisings in the middle east which appears to have left Beijing jittery.

This latest move initially reported in UK’s Guardian newspaper and now confirmed by the Beijing propaganda bureau is leading to fears the two influential newspapers will now be more strictly censored.

Officials announced the move to reporters on the Beijing Times and the Beijing News – known for its bold reporting – at meetings on Friday afternoon.

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China Tops Tops List Of Countries Jailing Journalists – Burma Comes In Fourth

Jul 202011
 

A just released report on media and the law has found non democratic regimes are increasingly resorting to jailing journalists with China and Iran topping the list each having 34 members of the media behind bars.

 The report, Media And The Law, was published by the Center For International Media Assistance, its focus is on the use of legislation including libel, national security and licensing laws to put limits on a free press in the developing world.

Burma, also known as Myanmar makes a significant showing coming in at number four.

However it is worth noting that many of these laws were inherited from westen nations during colonial periods. A good example of this are some of Malaysia’s more repressive laws which have been defended by politicians there as a reflection of “Asian values”. In truth they were copies of the colonial British administration’s legal framework aimed at keeping the Malaysians subservient to their colonial masters.

This heritage and certain changes in western media laws broadens the reports interest and relevance and is recommended to anyone interested in the increasing use of legislative avenues to kill off dissent or criticism.

Great Resource For Protection From Spyware, Viruses, Trojan Horse And Other Malware

Jul 182011
 

Trying to find a good site on the internet to provide information on spyware, viruses and other malware can be a dangerous business.

For users in China, Burma and other countries whose governments have an intrusive online presence online security is a serious issue.

 Many of the sites that come up in an online search will not only provide little practicle help in many cases they will actually be “fronts” to infect your computer.

The problem becomes who should be trusted. All the major software providers like Microsoft and Norton have general information but they are also businesses trying to sell a product so the information is unlikely to be complete. That is not to say there is anything wrong with their products but there are other sources.

An excellent resource is US-CERT (United States Computer Emergency Readiness team). This site provides excellent background, good non technical and technical reference material and regular reports on computer threats.

It is part of the U.S. Government’s Department Of Homeland Security so was obviously created with the primary aim of  protecting U.S. computer systems but the information they have on their site is universal and the added bonus – the will not try and sell you anything.

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