Two Chinese Schools Tied to Google Attack – “Hey, Kids! Leave Google Alone!”

February 19, 2010 - By Justin E. Gehrke

February 19, 2010 – It seems the attacks against Google discovered in January not only originated in China, but originated from two schools in China. According to a New York Times report published February 18, 2010, the ongoing investigation, whose team now includes members of the U.S. National Security Agency, has also discerned that the attacks may go as far back as April and that one of the Chinese schools is closely affiliated with the Chinese military.

Though it is now clear the attacks originated from two Chinese-based schools, a university and a vocational school, what has become more unclear is who is really behind the attacks. While investigation confirms the attacks originated in China, there is now be reason to believe people of other nationalities actually orchestrated the attacks, on Chinese soil. Evidence from a similar attack on a U.S. military contractor may provide a link to a professor from the Ukraine, who teaches a computer science class at one of the schools.

Shanghai Jiaotong University officials responded to the allegations by stating they would initiate their own investigation. The second institution, Lanxiang Vocational School, refused to comment. Shanghai Jiaotong University is a recognized leader in university computer science programs in China that, only weeks ago, won an international IBM contest, known as “Battle of the Brains”. The vocational school is one that was initially established with military support and is purported to maintain close ties with the Chinese military.

Though the possibility of a third, unknown party seizing control of the schools’ computer infrastructure to use it as a disguise still exists, the revelation provides further clues that may allow investigators to eventually track the breach down to its real source. The Google attack was allegedly designed to obtain proprietary company information and data, as well as eavesdrop on the email accounts of Chinese human rights activists. In the end, the most successful part of this investigation may be that it facilitates investigations into future incidents of this type, which are sure to only increase in frequency and complexity.