Targeting Huawei: NSA Spied on Chinese Government and Networking Firm
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/nsa-spied-on-chinese-government-and-networking-firm-huawei-a-960199.htmlFormer Chinese President Hu Jintao (left) and his successor, Xi Jinping (right): Politicians in Beijing were targets of NSA espionage.
Targeting Huawei: NSA Spied on Chinese Government and Networking Firm
March 22, 2014 06:00 PM
The American government conducted a major intelligence offensive against China, with targets including the Chinese government and networking company Huawei, according to documents from former NSA worker Edward Snowden that have been viewed by SPIEGEL. Among the American intelligence service's targets were former Chinese President Hu Jintao, the Chinese Trade Ministry, banks, as well as telecommunications companies.
But the NSA made a special effort to target Huawei. With 150,000 employees and 28 billion ($38.6 billion) in annual revenues, the company is the world's second largest network equipment supplier. At the beginning of 2009, the NSA began an extensive operation, referred to internally as "Shotgiant," against the company, which is considered a major competitor to US-based Cisco. The company produces smartphones and tablets, but also mobile phone infrastructure, WLAN routers and fiber optic cable -- the kind of technology that is decisive in the NSA's battle for data supremacy.
A special unit with the US intelligence agency succeeded in infiltrating Huwaei's network and copied a list of 1,400 customers as well as internal documents providing training to engineers on the use of Huwaei products, among other things.
Source Code Breached
According to a top secret NSA presentation, NSA workers not only succeeded in accessing the email archive, but also the secret source code of individual Huwaei products. Software source code is the holy grail of computer companies. Because Huawei directed all mail traffic from its employees through a central office in Shenzhen, where the NSA had infiltrated the network, the Americans were able to read a large share of the email sent by company workers beginning in January 2009, including messages from company CEO Ren Zhengfei and Chairwoman Sun Yafang.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)Now Snowden is happily ratting out our spying on perfectly legitimate targets?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10023294653
http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021492052
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5028861
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4733572
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x5028925
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=102x4960871
shockedcanadian
(751 posts)As Obama has succinctly stated, if these agencies aren't spying on foreign targets what is their value? China spies and America spies (as does everyone else), hopefully America wins, it's that simple as far as I am concerned. CSIS (Canada's spy agency) warned that Huawei was a National Security threat to Canada some years ago, probably based on intel they were provided by the U.S.
My assumption from the start was that Snowden was working for Russia. The manner in which he was "outed" and settled in Russia was cause for suspicion. I am not more in the know than anyone else on this matter that is multiple degrees away from the inside intelligence community, but the entire episode didn't pass the smell test as far as I was concerned.
The fact that the NSA was on such a major target is a feather in their cap. It's their job, the Cold War never ends, it's part of the responsibility of nation states. If this is news to the world so be it, it simply illustrates that Snowden has probably spilled most of the beans on what he knew, furthermore it extends beyond the simple mantra that he was some sort of "freedom fighter" for Western civilians. How does the revelation of these details help maintain the privacy of the average American who might be concerned with their privacy? Quite simply it doesn't.
Blue_Tires
(55,445 posts)In a Texas courtroom, tech firm Huawei stands accused of 'corporate espionage' to aid China
https://www.dallasnews.com/business/technology/2018/10/18/texas-courtroom-tech-firm-huawei-stands-accused-corporate-espionage-aid-china