US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

http://scmp.com/news/hong-kong/article/1266875/exclusive-us-hacked-pacnet-asia-pacific-fibre-optic-network-operator

by teawithcarl • 13 years ago

130 21 13 years ago

weitzj• 13 years ago

I once read a story that it should be possible to hook into a transatlantic fiber optic cable using a submarine. But I do not know if that would actually be feasable since you probably would like to save some of that data and there ain't much room in a submarine.

kyboren• 13 years ago

Just lay another cable from the tap to the nearest friendly shore.

alexqgb• 13 years ago

It's entirely possible. And the USS Jimmy Carter - a sub with smaller subs inside - was designed to do exactly that.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/USS_Jimmy_Carter_(SSN-23)

mjn• 13 years ago

The Jimmy Carter is also widely assumed to be a replacement for a previous submarine that has been carrying out similar missions since the 1970s (initially tapping copper cables), the USS Parche. Obviously, nothing has been confirmed, but it seems to be something of an open secret. There is extensive discussion in, among other places, the 1998 book Blind Man's Bluff: The Untold Story of American Submarine Espionage (http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/006097771X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?...)

dmourati• 13 years ago

US successfully tapped a Russian underwater cable in operation Ivy Bells. The Russians discovered the tap, seized it, and it is currently on display in a Russian museum: http://www.therebreathersite.nl/11_Closed%20Circuit%20Rebrea... http://www.military.com/Content/MoreContent1/?file=cw_f_ivyb...

eclipticplane2• 13 years ago

It can't be coincidence that the most recent dumps of information from Snowden concern Hong Kong specifically. I have to wonder if he is floating information to prove to Hong Kong/Chinese officials that he has more information to broker safety/asylum.

joelrunyon• 13 years ago

I bet his actions are directed to make HK/China consider their options instead of immediately complying with the US rather than to trade it directly with them. That seems more villainous than what he's currently up to.

eclipticplane2• 13 years ago

Well, trade in the sense that if they keep him free that he can release the rest of the information.

Do we know how much information he has that hasn't been released yet? Or if he provided information to The Guardian to release in the event that he was captured?

kposehn3• 13 years ago

Snowden seems to be making fairly adept strategic moves that were planned well in advance, while simultaneously pushing his information to be considered factual without much evidence (that I have seen) outside his testimony. The media is lapping up what he states with little, if any, validation. Of course, as is the nature of leaks, the information is often impossible to fully validate.

There is some speculation that he was actually turned by the PLA prior to leaking and is providing them an excellent platform to exert pressure on Obama.

Obama did, after all, add the Chinese hacking attempts to the agenda of his summit without consulting them, an extremely rude (to the Chinese) maneuver.

If there is any conspiracy here, it is most likely China making an extremely effective effort to make Obama pay for their loss of face.

caf• 13 years ago

If the Chinese had a source in Snowden's position, it does not seem credible that they would voluntarily burn him just to cause some temporary domestic embarassment for the US President.

pmorici• 13 years ago

"There is some speculation that he was actually turned by the PLA prior to leaking"

By whom?

TomaszZielinski• 13 years ago

What about things like http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2008_submarine_cable_disruption ?

opinali• 13 years ago

http://msl1.mit.edu/furdlog/docs/cnn/2005-02-18_cnn_optical_...

gwgarry• 13 years ago

China would be fucking stupid to hand Snowden over to US authorities. Just like the US encourages dissenters to take refuge in the US, China should do the same. If you don't agree with your government and want to air their dirty laundry, we will give you amnesty. This would be good for the world as a whole.

croikle• 13 years ago

    $('.region').style.visibility="visible"

to show content without running their js.

US hacked Pacnet, Asia Pacific fibre-optic network operator, in 2009

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