China's Alleged Cyberattack on the New York Times

The World

Cybersecurity is something of an oxymoron.

And it's frightening when you realize just how vulnerable we all are.

The story about alleged Chinese cyberattacks on the New York Times is a case in point.

The Times published a front-page story on Thursday that Chinese hackers repeatedly infiltrated its systems over four months this past fall.

It coincided with a Times investigation into the billions of dollars amassed by the family of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for the cyber security company F-Secure, says it fits the profile of other Chinese attacks.

"This was a targeted attack," says Hypponen. "They were after information, specifically journalists' contacts (in China)."

No-one can be sure what they got, adds Hypponen. "Even the Times may not know."

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