http://themoscownews.com/siloviks_scoundrels/20111121/189221309.html By Mark Galeotti siloviks and scoundrels The Moscow Times 21/11/2011 Last month, the US Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive identified two countries as most eagerly trying to steal American secrets through cyberspace. This month, the FBI’s ‘Operation Ghost Click,’ the investigation of a $14 million cybercrime case, led to six arrests and a hunt for a seventh. A few days later, it was revealed that hackers had taken over and sabotaged a water pumping facility in Illinois. Next month sees the trial of the so-called “king of spam,” charged with being responsible for perhaps 10 billion unwanted and often hoax email messages every day. What do all these stories have in common? The US report identified Russia and China as the guilty parties; of the seven hackers involved in ‘Ghost Click,’ one is a Russian citizen, the other six ethnic Russian Estonians; the Illinois hack was traced to servers in Russia; and “king of spam” Oleg Nikolayenko comes from Vidnoye, just outside Moscow. Why does every hacking and cyberscam story -- real or fictional -- seem to have a Russia connection? In part, it is prejudice and laziness. The stereotype of the Russian hacker has become such a common media trope that it gets recycled again and again. It also offers a handy update for those looking for new ways to perpetuate the ‘Russian threat.’ [...] _____________________________________________________ Subscribe to InfoSec News - www.infosecnews.org http://www.infosecnews.org/mailman/listinfo/isnReceived on Tue Nov 22 2011 - 23:32:25 PST
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