/ 24 February 2010

China denies links to Google cyber attacks

Beijing has denied claims that a cyber attack on Google had links to Chinese colleges or the government as “groundless”, fighting back against reports that investigators are drawing closer to hackers in China.

The search giant said last month it was no longer willing to censor its Chinese service, citing the attack — which it said originated in China and targeted human rights activists’ email accounts as well as intellectual property — and increasingly tough internet censorship.

Last week the New York Times reported that the attacks appeared to originate from Shanghai Jiaotong university and Lanxiang vocational college, citing an anonymous source close to the investigation. Both educational institutions deny the claims.

A report in the Financial Times on Tuesday suggested US officials had tracked the man they believe wrote the code used in the attacks, identifying him as a security consultant with government links.

But China’s foreign ministry spokesperson, Qin Gang, told reporters: “Reports that these attacks came from Chinese schools are totally groundless and the accusation of Chinese government involvement is also irresponsible and driven by ulterior motives.”

He added: “China administers its internet according to law, and this position will not change. China prohibits hacking and will crack down on hacking according to law.”

New restrictions
The technology ministry introduced new restrictions on websites on Wednesday. It lifted a ban on individuals registering domain names, but said those who wished to do so must meet regulators and submit photographs and identity cards.

The ministry of industry and information technology introduced the freeze in December as part of a reported crackdown on pornography.

The government said nearly 5 400 people were detained in connection with the campaign last year. This month a Chinese court sentenced a man to 13 years for running a pornographic website, state media reported. – guardian.co.uk