The Australian Bureau of Meteorology suffered a massive cyber-attack that may have leaked national security information. The attack is being blamed on China, according to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
One of the country’s main supercomputers is based at the Bureau of Meteorology, and the recent attack may have meant those responsible could access the Department of Defence via a linked network.
ABC blamed the breach on China, which has been accused of hacking sensitive government computer systems in the past. “It’s China”, the ABC quoted one source.
The Bureau of Meteorology released a statement that it would not comment on security issues, but that it’s working with security agencies, in addition to the fact that it’s computers were operating normally.
The Australian Federal Police also refused to comment. The Department of Defence said that it was not permitted by policy from commenting on specific cyber security incidents.
China has been accused several times recently of compromising online businesses in order to gain a competitive advantage, and for espionage.
The US blamed China in June for stealing four million government employee records. They countered by saying that the comments from the US administration were irresponsible. Obama subsequently stated that the US would boost its own cyber defences.
SOURCE: Reuters.
Larry Banks is a keen follower of technology and finance. He has worked for a variety of online publications, writing about a diverse range of topics including mobile networks, patents, and Internet video delivery technologies.