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GhostNet: Canada uncovers the new age of cyber espionage

By Charles Lim @ MaRS
April 3, 2009
 
GhostNet within the Matrix

GhostNet within the Matrix

Has it ever occurred to you that someone could be watching and listening to you anytime they want without even entering your home? If information is king, then GhostNet is one of its top generals. With just a flicker on your computer, GhostNet secretly installs itself and effectively takes control of your computer and maybe your life.

Thanks to the brilliant minds from our very own Munk Centre for International Studies at the University of Toronto and our Ottawa-based think tank SecDev Group, GhostNet has been recently exposed to the public.

GhostNet is a cyber computer espionage network that has infected 1,295 computers worldwide in 103 countries including computers of governments, ministries, embassies, etc. GhostNet uses malicious software to take control of the infected computers ranging from governments such as the Philippines, Indonesia, Portugal, Romania, Korea, Latvia, and Iran to the Dalai Lama’s office and more. The scope of GhostNet is huge and consists of machines from high profile institutions.

Binary data decoding

Binary data decoding

Having worked in the hi-tech industry for more than five years, I know that reverse-engineering messages to expose GhostNet involves deciphering incomprehensible code and maybe even going through binary streams of data to decode encrypted messages. You can imagine how impressive the skills and capabilities of our researchers are to be able to detect such a network and analyze it in a span of one year. Not only have these researchers exposed GhostNet, they have also identified the different command/control servers and the capabilities of this system.

One of the more disturbing capabilities of GhostNet is that it allows the attacker to gain control of not only your information but it also uses your webcam and microphone to watch and hear everything that is happening in that room. This is some serious spy capabilities exceeding even those of the legendary 007 himself!

Show me the money!

Show me the money!

If you’re having a hard time imagining the power of GhostNet, consider what researchers found out about how it was being used: after an email invitation was sent by the Dalai Lama’s office to a foreign diplomat, the Chinese government made a call to the diplomat discouraging the visit. If you had GhostNet on your side, you could use it to tap into the computers of CEOs for all the major public companies and get inside information before anyone else knows about it! Think about ultimate untraceable insider trading!

So what does this mean for the innovation community? The reality is that we now live in the information age and if Canada is to become a major player in the new world scene, we need to ensure that Canada continues to educate bright young minds such as those from our Munk Centre for International Studies and SecDev Group. Innovation and creativity need to flourish in order for Canada to find such solutions for cyber espionage and develop sufficient expertise in this area.

Because, remember this the next time your computer flickers when you’re alone: you just might not be home alone anymore. Canada’s brainiacs are what stand between you and a “Home Alone” scenario. And let’s face it, no one wants THAT again.

For more information about this topic, visit the links below:

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  • drhrgoetting

    “University Spy – A True Story”The C.I.A. has ended up as America‘s globalEducation Ministry and universities around the world havelittle recourse!Behavioral science teaches that small changes in aman’s sex-life can have large effects on keeping secrets!The story-line is based on ‘embedded’ rent-boy reporting at itsbest, telling the whole truth about the C.I.A.’s universityespionage from the bedside!This book is scripted on man-to-man pillowinterviews with Chief Walt Blair Paterson, a source of untreatedand disease-laden sewer language and behavior, strangerthan fiction!The interviews are often filled with foggy details,given while the C.I.A.-Chief wobbled back and forward like adrunken Japanese tip-over doll!The investigative interviews will plunge the reader into themurk of the abnormal psychology and mind bogglingcareer of Walt Blair Paterson from taxi driver to C.I.A. contractChief-of-university-spies!The pillow interviews are off the record; WaltBlair Paterson’s real name, company, position and locationwere changed and rendered anonymous for legal reasons!Following each quotation from the Chief, I turn -figuratively speaking – into the howling quarterback of an academic football team, looking for a pretext to verbally assault the Chief and the newAmerica – the can't do nation! Chief W. B. Paterson is the inheritor of a globally operatinguniversity supplier, which doubles as a C.I.A. espionagecontractor!Every Paterson Inc. product sold at universities bears thechills of torture whips on the backs of kidnapped victimsin secret C.I.A. jails anywhere around the world!University espionage is closely related to power,and abuse of power is the central theme of this book!C.I.A. espionage contractors such as Paterson Inc.are NOT SUBJECT to the Freedom of Information Act!An obscure law allows the C.I.A. to block allcongressional and public inquiries into contractor Paterson,the recipient of vast amounts of U.S. government money!The secret files, the budget, the number of agentsand the entire power structure of the Paterson Shadow Companywill never be opened to the public for scrutiny and arebeyond the reach of the U.S. judicial process!All this I took in like a spy, interrupted by the Chief’s demonstrations of affection and while his hands fondled among my pants!As a spot of shit the bedside interviews with the Chief are about to hit the proverbial fan!http://www.scribd.com/doc/21672611/University-Spyhttp://www.amazon.de/University-Spy-Helmut-Rich…

Charles Lim @ MaRS

Charles Lim @ MaRS

Charles Lim is on the information and communication technology (ICT) Advisory Services team at MaRS. He provides support and business analysis to technology and energy sector start-ups.

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