Hackers of Japanese military contractor fluent in Chinese
Software used to breach the security of a Japanese maker of sensitive weapons systems contained simplified Chinese characters, making it difficult for those who don't speak the language to carry out the hack, Japan's biggest daily newspaper reported.
A computer screen used by attackers to remotely control infected computers inside Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries included simplified Chinese characters for words such as “automatic,” “catch,” and “image,” The Yomiuri Shimbun reported Wednesday, citing unnamed sources. Investigators with Japan's Metropolitan Police Department now consider the hack an international espionage case.
In all, the attack infected 83 computers and servers at 11 locations, including MHI's Tokyo headquarters, factories and research and development centers, a separate article in the same paper said. IHI Corp., another maker of heavy electronics, suffered similar attacks, the paper reported without elaborating.
