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Did You Enjoy Your Trip To China?

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Did You Enjoy Your Trip To China?

from JoeUser Forums

 

Well, a weird thing happened the other day (and not for the first time).

Turns out if you visited/commented on Facebook, you (and 10% of web traffic) took a trip to China, South Korea and back. Yep: Route-Jacking.

Facebook traffic for AT&T customers was routed through Chinese and Korean servers for some unspecified amount of time, raising privacy concerns.

Some of the network traffic heading to Facebook’s servers in Palo Alto, Calif., was re-routed to first pass through Chinese and Korean servers, on March 22. and was thought probably an accident.

“A similar incident surfaced almost exactly a year ago on April 8, 2010, when a Chinese ISP incorrectly published a set of BGP (Border Gateway Protocol) instructions that could have potentially affected 37,000 networks. The incident lasted only 18 minutes, and China Telecom, the country’s largest ISP, denied trying to hijack Internet traffic. Experts speculated it was an accident because of how quickly it was fixed.”

If you’ll remember, I discussed BGP’s and how the net could be brought down by simply increasing the length of time in reporting ‘backups’ or ‘busy’ signals causing a massive net clog up.

I think you should take a look at the article. For me, I’d really like to know that when I’m communicating from inside the US, with a site inside the US, my info-packets won’t be “inspectable” by a country whose policies I eschew and be (perhaps) put on a list for questioning should I ever decide to visit there as a tourist. I also want none of my personal information in their hands.

Source article: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Security/Facebook-Traffic-Diverted-to-China-Raising-Privacy-Concerns-130825/

89,543 views 50 replies
Reply #26 from GalCiv2 Forums Top

As I've said before, China is a heavily-populated, well-wired country, so the odds of these things being rerouted there by random chance are actually pretty good. And as I've said before, this seems far too clumsy for the Chinese. A good metaphor would be that the Gulf oil disaster could have been caused by Saudi Arabian saboteurs, and I don't doubt that it worked in Saudi oil's favor... but it's much more likely that it's just an accident.

Besides, I'm not too worried about China potentially employing this particular method, precisely because it is so broad and directionless. Data mining happens all the time, by a lot of unscrupulous people, and if some Chinese Intelligence analyst sees that you watched "2Girls1Cup" 3,000 times... well... Google, hackers, your ISP and the NSA can get ahold of that information too and will probably care about it a lot more than the PRC. Any sensitive data that they're actually looking for in corporate or government traffic that is being sent unencrypted and unsecured through outside servers is more than vulnerable enough as is. We live in an information sieve, but (un?)fortunately the sheer volume of stuff a self-respecting spy agency is going to collect on a day-to-day basis serves as a very good cover for both your credit card number and price-fixing deals.

Reply #27 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting MadDeez, reply 4
my rig doesn't know how to do facebook or any other social network crap. she's a good girl
End of MadDeez's quote

And so are you, "John".

Quoting IROKONESS, reply 15

Quoting Savyg, reply 11 Holy shit there are a lot of old and paranoid people around here. 
Ah to be young and innocent again. Wait young man, one day you'll be a dad and eat those words. Worry will be your middle initial also.
End of IROKONESS's quote

Uhm.... What's parenthood got to do with Facebook/social networks?
I've been a dad for 17 years now, and do not waste my time worrying where my kids surf. I'm not that friggin' paranoid. They've got brains themselves.
Just because you're young and uses the interweb doesn't mean that the whole world is out to hack you.

Siege of Centauri
Reply #28 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting MadDeez, reply 4
my rig doesn't know how to do facebook or any other social network crap. she's a good girl
End of MadDeez's quote

At least that should keep her from catching a few extra STD's..LoL.

Reply #29 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting Scoutdog, reply 23
Although the existence of a second incident also linked to China makes it a bit of an odd coincidence, I don't particularly see why the Chinese government would want to be doing this.
End of Scoutdog's quote

Why is easy.  Besides the turmoil of a disruption, the Chinese are also struggling with making the Internet a private net for its citizens.  The turmoil in the Mid east is partially being reflected in China as well, and some people in China are by passing the censors.  By diverting the traffic through their routers, they can capture all the data (no way can they analyze it real time), and then take their leisure to analyze it and figure out how their censorship is being bypassed.  They then create stronger rules that stop the bypassing thus keeping their populace ignorant.

The North Korea angle is merely a disruptive attempt.  Little Kimmy does anything his Chinese masters tell him to.

Reply #30 from Stardock Forums Top

Doesn't using HTTPS alleviate much of these concerns?  While the snooping systems might know where you are going (ie Facebook, Twitter, Battle.Net), the encrypted connection should prevent them from reading any of your personal data in a timely manner .

You can either enable HTTPS within Facebook by changing a setting in your user profile, or by manually adding the "S" to the address bar yourself.

Reply #31 from WinCustomize Forums Top

^yes. https will alleviate that for facebook and any other site using it. It really shouldn't be "optional" anymore, and every 'social' site should be employing it 100% of the time.

There's simply no justification for why they aren't.

Reply #32 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 31
There's simply no justification for why they aren't.
End of DrJBHL's quote

I second the good Doc on the Yes, and while it is not a justification, I offer the following for why they are not.

Laziness.  They just have not gotten a round2it.

Reply #33 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting IROKONESS, reply 15

Ah to be young and innocent again. Wait young man, one day you'll be a dad and eat those words. Worry will be your middle initial also.
End of IROKONESS's quote

As a 32 year old virgin I can safely say:

Probably not.

Reply #34 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting Savyg, reply 33

As a 32 year old virgin I can safely say:

Probably not.
End of Savyg's quote

Oh come on now, Savy, you aint foolin no-one with that "virgin" stuff.

Reply #35 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting GG_Crew, reply 30
Doesn't using HTTPS alleviate much of these concerns?  While the snooping systems might know where you are going (ie Facebook, Twitter, Battle.Net), the encrypted connection should prevent them from reading any of your personal data in a timely manner .

You can either enable HTTPS within Facebook by changing a setting in your user profile, or by manually adding the "S" to the address bar yourself.
End of GG_Crew's quote

correct. there's also an extension called "https everywhere" for firefox and pale moon. it will not, however work with any site that has no https sign on.

Reply #36 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting RavenX, reply 34

Oh come on now, Savy, you aint foolin no-one with that "virgin" stuff.
End of RavenX's quote

Girls are a distraction from the important things in life.  You know, games. |-)

Reply #37 from Elemental Forums Top

Even allies do it to each other. Not too long ago an individual was caught, in the country, gathering data for Israel, sensitive data. Sorry Doc. I'm no anti-Semite. Its a matter of public record. It was reported in all the major papers. Arrested yes. Convicted of spying, no. Sent back home with a slap on the wrist. Anyone else would have been jailed.
End of quote

 

The Israelis doing internet espionage don't usually operate out of Israel.  They'll operate anywhere but, so as to implicate their host country instead.  I'm dealing with an Israeli hacking case right now, and it's out of North Africa.  An entire website's database is published online--names, addresses, cracked passwords and all.  We're just lucky the database didn't store their credit card information--even though that is clearly what they were after.   And I do mean *IS* published online.  We can't take it down.  How do you?  Call the police?

Reply #38 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting tetleytea, reply 37

Even allies do it to each other. Not too long ago an individual was caught, in the country, gathering data for Israel, sensitive data. Sorry Doc. I'm no anti-Semite. Its a matter of public record. It was reported in all the major papers. Arrested yes. Convicted of spying, no. Sent back home with a slap on the wrist. Anyone else would have been jailed.

 

The Israelis doing internet espionage don't usually operate out of Israel.  They'll operate anywhere but, so as to implicate their host country instead.  I'm dealing with an Israeli hacking case right now, and it's out of North Africa.  An entire website's database is published online--names, addresses, cracked passwords and all.  We're just lucky the database didn't store their credit card information--even though that is clearly what they were after.   And I do mean *IS* published online.  We can't take it down.  How do you?  Call the police?
End of tetleytea's quote

I'd try to differentiate between "doing it for Israel" as in Military Intelligence or Mossad Agency [Governmental] vs. a hacker [from anywhere] doing it. This [TetleyTea's] sounds like an individual. I don't see how credit card scams and hacked apps further Israel's national/international policy goals.

"An individual from Israel" does not mean "Israeli Intelligence".

Reply #39 from Elemental Forums Top

Nor would I give Israeli individuals immunity just because they're Israeli.

Reply #40 from JoeUser Forums Top

Quoting tetleytea, reply 37
The Israelis doing internet espionage don't usually operate out of Israel.  They'll operate anywhere but, so as to implicate their host country instead.  I'm dealing with an Israeli hacking case right now, and it's out of North Africa.  An entire website's database is published online--names, addresses, cracked passwords and all.  We're just lucky the database didn't store their credit card information--even though that is clearly what they were after.   And I do mean *IS* published online.  We can't take it down.  How do you?  Call the police?
End of tetleytea's quote

The Internet is many things, but centrally controlled it is not.  In these cases, that is where it gets you.  Luckily they did not get the CC info.  The PCI standards dictate that the DB that stores that has to be firewalled off from the rest of the network.  It is a headache to employ, but at times like these, I appreciate it a lot.

Reply #41 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Savyg, reply 36
Girls are a distraction from the important things in life.  You know, games.
End of Savyg's quote

I am so not going there.... >_>

Reply #42 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting tetleytea, reply 39
Nor would I give Israeli individuals immunity just because they're Israeli.
End of tetleytea's quote

Depends what's going on. You say they/he/she was given immunity because he/etc. was Israeli. I doubt you know why that happened. Could have been part of a deal, or not. Could have been a sting to find out who was passing the info and Israel (or not) was asked to help.

Who knows? Certainly neither you nor I.

Reply #43 from Elemental Forums Top

Dude.  Obviously I know what's going on.  It's my case.

Reply #44 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Really? That's interesting. Tell us more. You see, I really don't believe the Israeli Gov't. would get involved in a small time hacker venture for peanuts.

"An entire website's database is published online--names, addresses, cracked passwords and all."

What sort of site, and why are you/your employer involved?

Reply #45 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting IROKONESS, reply 41

I am so not going there....
End of IROKONESS's quote

Cool.  I didn't really like people when I was younger...and then I had no license from 18-25 so I was stuck on a farm with nowhere to go.

So whatever works.  I like not having people yelling at me so the hermit life works.

Reply #46 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Whatever floats your boat, Savyg. You're welcome here. :)

Reply #47 from Stardock Forums Top

Quoting DrJBHL, reply 38

I'd try to differentiate between "doing it for Israel" as in Military Intelligence or Mossad Agency [Governmental] vs. a hacker [from anywhere] doing it. This [Savyg's] sounds like an individual. I don't see how credit card scams and hacked apps further Israel's national/international policy goals.

"An individual from Israel" does not mean "Israeli Intelligence".
End of DrJBHL's quote

I have what to do with Israel now?  I mean one of my friends lives there, but huh?

Reply #48 from WinCustomize Forums Top

My mistake...  read [TetleyTea] - fixed. Uvah's earlier post sounded as if it could be governmental as opposed to TetleyTea's.

Reply #49 from Elemental Forums Top

Quoting IROKONESS, reply 41



Quoting Savyg,
reply 36
Girls are a distraction from the important things in life.  You know, games.


I am so not going there....
End of IROKONESS's quote

Don't worry darlin, I'll do it...lol.

Quoting Savyg, reply 36

Girls are a distraction from the important things in life.  You know, games.
End of Savyg's quote

LoL true, so true. Spoken like a true game-a-holic   I think we've all been there at one point or another. Still, there comes a point in life when you just have to step back and say..."damn, I need some :meow: ". The best ways are to find a GF who just wants to get it on and then won't care when you get out of bed and go back to the computer after she falls asleep..hehe. Either that or marry a girl who likes games like I did ;).

Reply #50 from Stardock Forums Top

Yeah I actually found a girl who's not that different from me except for having a more sordid past and kids or sommat...and she's currently in jail X|

I give up.