Unless you have been living under a rock for the past week, you’ll know that the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games has started in China, with a huge opening ceremony on Friday. While the Olympic Games may be a time to celebrate your nationality, or just watch some brilliant sporting moments, U.S. Intelligence has other things on its mind, with cyber-crime in China top of its list.

On Thursday, the National Counter-intelligence executive issued a series of tips for overseas travellers carrying mobile phones, laptops, PDAs and other electronic equipment. While China isn’t mentioned by name, the timing of the warning – a day before the Olympics kicked off – makes it quite obvious that China is the main country being warned about in the document.

The set of advice, available to read here as a pdf, warns that all information sent electronically can be intercepted, with wireless devices especially vulnerable. It also warns American travellers that it’s not only cyber- criminals they have to watch out for, but security services as well. In fact, the two are mentioned in the same context.

To this end, the advice is actually to leave all devices of this nature at home. If that isn’t possible then data should be backed up and left at home, batteries should be removed when the device isn’t in use, security software should be kept up to date, and passwords should be changed regularly.

Joel Brenner, the government’s top cyber-security official, spoke to CBS News, and did mention China specifically. He said:

Somebody with a wireless device in China should expect it to be compromised while he’s there. The public security services in China can turn your telephone on and activate its microphone when you think it’s off.

According to CBS News, China is one of a number of countries involved in cyber-espionage programs. The government-backed initiatives are reportedly aimed at “cracking U.S. national security computers and stealing corporate trade secrets.”

While the normal overseas visitor probably doesn’t have sensitive material on their computer or wireless device, and so won’t have to worry about being targeted by government organisations, everyone has to worry about the cyber-criminals that operate in almost every country around the world.

Cyber-crime is huge, and for the gangs who get away with it, very profitable. This is good common sense advice from U.S. Intelligence, but I can’t help wondering about the timing of it. There was me thinking the Olympics were about the world coming together, but it seems even at events like these, criminals will prosper.

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Entry was posted on Saturday, August 9th, 2008 at 2:21 pm under Hacking, Opinion.

Read more entries by Dave Parrack.
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