[Talk] A new approach to China --- google
A new approach to China
1/12/2010 03:00:00 PM
Like many other well-known organizations, we face cyber attacks of
varying degrees on a regular basis. In mid-December, we detected a
highly sophisticated and targeted attack on our corporate
infrastructure originating from China that resulted in the theft
of intellectual property from Google. However, it soon became
clear that what at first appeared to be solely a security
incident--albeit a significant one--was something quite different.
First, this attack was not just on Google. As part of our
investigation we have discovered that at least twenty other large
companies from a wide range of businesses--including the Internet,
finance, technology, media and chemical sectors--have been
similarly targeted. We are currently in the process of notifying
those companies, and we are also working with the relevant U.S.
authorities.
Second, we have evidence to suggest that a primary goal of the
attackers was accessing the Gmail accounts of Chinese human rights
activists. Based on our investigation to date we believe their
attack did not achieve that objective. Only two Gmail accounts
appear to have been accessed, and that activity was limited to
account information (such as the date the account was created) and
subject line, rather than the content of emails themselves.
Third, as part of this investigation but independent of the attack
on Google, we have discovered that the accounts of dozens of
U.S.-, China- and Europe-based Gmail users who are advocates of
human rights in China appear to have been routinely accessed by
third parties. These accounts have not been accessed through any
security breach at Google, but most likely via phishing scams or
malware placed on the users' computers.
We have already used information gained from this attack to make
infrastructure and architectural improvements that enhance
security for Google and for our users. In terms of individual
users, we would advise people to deploy reputable anti-virus and
anti-spyware programs on their computers, to install patches for
their operating systems and to update their web browsers. Always
be cautious when clicking on links appearing in instant messages
and emails, or when asked to share personal information like
passwords online. You can read more here about our cyber-security
recommendations. People wanting to learn more about these kinds of
attacks can read this U.S. government report (PDF), Nart
Villeneuve's blog and this presentation on the GhostNet spying
incident.
We have taken the unusual step of sharing information about these
attacks with a broad audience not just because of the security and
human rights implications of what we have unearthed, but also
because this information goes to the heart of a much bigger global
debate about freedom of speech. In the last two decades, China's
economic reform programs and its citizens' entrepreneurial flair
have lifted hundreds of millions of Chinese people out of poverty.
Indeed, this great nation is at the heart of much economic
progress and development in the world today.
We launched Google.cn in January 2006 in the belief that the
benefits of increased access to information for people in China
and a more open Internet outweighed our discomfort in agreeing to
censor some results. At the time we made clear that "we will
carefully monitor conditions in China, including new laws and
other restrictions on our services. If we determine that we are
unable to achieve the objectives outlined we will not hesitate to
reconsider our approach to China."
These attacks and the surveillance they have uncovered--combined
with the attempts over the past year to further limit free speech
on the web--have led us to conclude that we should review the
feasibility of our business operations in China. We have decided
we are no longer willing to continue censoring our results on
Google.cn, and so over the next few weeks we will be discussing
with the Chinese government the basis on which we could operate an
unfiltered search engine within the law, if at all. We recognize
that this may well mean having to shut down Google.cn, and
potentially our offices in China.
The decision to review our business operations in China has been
incredibly hard, and we know that it will have potentially
far-reaching consequences. We want to make clear that this move
was driven by our executives in the United States, without the
knowledge or involvement of our employees in China who have worked
incredibly hard to make Google.cn the success it is today. We are
committed to working responsibly to resolve the very difficult
issues raised.
Posted by David Drummond, SVP, Corporate Development and Chief
Legal Officer
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/01/new-approach-to-china.html
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