One of my earliest posts was a very rushed post on the Chinese New Year. I mistakenly believed that it was the Year of the Dragon, and I was wrong. But I had so much fun writing it that I left it up. I will leave the link here: https://wordpress.com/post/tiredmidnightblogger.com/453
This year actually IS the Year of the Dragon. The Dragon is, according to the website https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/chinese-zodiac/dragon.htm
“People born in Dragon years usually possess natural courage, tenacity, and intelligence, often displaying enthusiasm and confidence…In Chinese culture, the Dragon holds a significant place as an auspicious and extraordinary creature, unparalleled in talent and excellence. It symbolizes power, nobility, honor, luck, and success. 2024 is forecasted to bring about opportunities, changes, and challenges. If you’re seeking a shift in your current lives, this year might offer a favorable chance.”
FBI Claims They Stopped Chinese Hacking
According to the website: https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/us-government-disrupts-botnet-peoples-republic-china-used-conceal-hacking-critical “The Justice Department has disrupted a PRC-backed hacking group that attempted to target America’s critical infrastructure utilizing a botnet,” said Attorney General Merrick B. Garland. “The United States will continue to dismantle malicious cyber operations – including those sponsored by foreign governments – that undermine the security of the American people.”
“In wiping out the KV Botnet from hundreds of routers nationwide, the Department of Justice is using all its tools to disrupt national security threats – in real time,” said Deputy Attorney General Lisa O. Monaco. “Today’s announcement also highlights our critical partnership with the private sector – victim reporting is key to fighting cybercrime, from home offices to our most critical infrastructure.”
Evidently when the Alphabet Soup isn’t plotting the death of a recalcitrant President or the overthrow of a foreign (or not so foreign) regime, they actually DO something to protect….well…not the American people per se, but the system that keeps their paychecks being predictable.
Meanwhile, China accuses the US of being the hackers.
China Claims That the US Government Hacks Them
In a less publicized (at least in the US) article, the Chinese accuse the US of hacking their systems. According to The Global Times: “Throughout 2023, 360 detected over 1,200 APT attack incidents targeting China from 13 foreign APT organizations, mainly based in North America, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and East Asia.” Going into more detail, this Chinese news outlet states “APT attack techniques are being continuously upgraded, with targets spreading and attacks becoming more sophisticated. The APT attacks launched by the US are the most severe, the report said.
“It showed that APT organizations from the US have already demonstrated automated, systematic, and intelligent characteristics in their global cyberattacks. Their attack techniques are able to cover almost all internet and IoT assets worldwide. They can control foreign networks and steal critical data, serving their military and political espionage objectives.”
The Chinese state that the US hacking involves a wide swathe of the society. “The cyberattacks affecting China involve 16 industries, with the top five affected industries being education, government, scientific research, national defense and military industry, and transportation.”
Chinese Leader Assures President Biden That China Will Not Tamper With US Elections
In a meeting between President Biden and State Chairman Xi of China in November 15 of 2023, Xi assured Biden China would not in any way ” interfere in the 2024 U.S. presidential election.” This from https://www.ctvnews.ca/world/xi-promised-biden-china-wouldn-t-interfere-in-2024-election-cnn-exclusive-1.6749261
This fails to comfort your Tired Blogger. According to NBC News: “China tried to shape the outcome of specific races in the 2022 midterm elections, reflecting a more aggressive approach by Beijing to try to influence American politics and exploit societal divisions, according to a newly released assessment from U.S. intelligence agencies.”
NBC also shares: “Beijing likely sees its information operations in the U.S. as a response “to what they believe is an intensified US effort to promote democracy at China’s expense,” the report said.
“Since 2020, Chinese senior leaders gave orders to intensify efforts to influence U.S. policy and public opinion in China’s favor, according to the report released by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence.
“We assess that these directives gave PRC (People’s Republic of China) influence actors more freedom to operate ahead of the midterms than the presidential election in 2020, probably because PRC officials believed that Beijing was under less scrutiny during the midterms and because they did not expect the current Administration to retaliate as severely as they feared in 2020,” it said.”
A Chinese spokesperson at the Chinese embassy called these allegations “groundless and fabricated.”
So who hacked who? Or do we just all hack each other? I surely don’t know. But to the good Chinese who are out there, in both nations, I would love to wish all of you (and all of us) a very happy Chinese New Year of the Dragon. Let us hope that peace comes to the Earth, and we can stop trying to destroy each other.
Sadly….I don’t think I will hold my breath.
Tired Midnight Blogger (What Blogs at Midnight) 