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Against the backdrop of concerns over hacking of crucial official websites, central security agencies have again warned the government about the use of multi-tasking blackberry instruments by some of the officials working in sensitive ministries including the Prime Minister’s office.

Agencies have also cautioned against the practice of connecting official computers and laptops with unsecured internet connections by some bureaucrats thus compromising security.

With hackers mainly from China very active and having penetrated deep into the cyber space, the security agencies had asked all ministries especially the Defence, External, Home and the PMO to separate their official computers with those used for internet connection.

The recommendations of the central security agencies seem to have gone unheeded. An official maintained that their suggestion was only recommendatory in nature. The National Technical and Research Organisation (NTRO) also circulated the Do’s and Don’ts to key ministries recently after attempts from hackers were noticed.

A quick random check was carried out during which it was found that some of the officials in the Prime Minister’s Office were using Blackberry services and had linked their official emails on the handset, which is not allowed.

A PMO official said there were routine attempts to hack various systems. The PMO has its own system in place to protect against such attempts, the official said, adding, there has been no security breach.

Intense negotiations were held prior to the starting the Blackberry services in India and finally the Department of Telecom in 2008 decided to side-step the opposition of the intelligence agencies and permit the services, being operated by Canadian-firm Research-In-Motion (RIM).

Another problem dogging the cyber space in the country was constant use of official computers by the officials in key ministries despite a warning from security agencies not to link them with the internet.

Security of many of the computers in the Ministry of External Affairs and its Missions abroad was compromised with forcing a security audit of the machines and segregating the virus-affected ones out of the system.

The Ministry of Home Affairs has a separate server for its computers and there have been no attempts to hack its system since it has another server with internet facility. A surprise check of all the computers was being carried at regular intervals.

The National Informatics Centre, the organisation responsible for maintaining government servers and providing internet and intranet facilities to various key ministries, had also faced hacking problem. According to a Canadian firm SecDev Group, which investigated the hacking of the Dalai Lama's computer in late 2008, as many as 12 computers of NIC had been affected by the Chinese hackers.

The group also surprised the government when it mentioned that computers in nine Indian Missions abroad which included key countries like the US and the UK had been affected by the Chinese hackers.

Giving details, the report said the GhostNet system directs infected computers to download a Trojan, known as ghost RAT, which allows attackers to gain complete, real-time control. These instances of ghost RAT are consistently controlled from commercial internet access accounts located on the island of Hainan, People's Republic of China.

"Our investigation reveals that GhostNet is capable of taking full control of infected computers, including searching and downloading specific files, and covertly operating attached devices, including microphones and web cameras.

“China is actively developing an operational capacity in cyberspace, correctly identifying it as the domain in which it can achieve strategic parity, if not superiority, over the military establishments of the United States and its allies.

“Chinese cyber warfare doctrine is well developed, and significant resources have been invested by the People's Liberation Army and security services in developing defensive and offensive capabilities," the report said.

According to them, an email message arrives in the target's inbox carrying the malware in an attachment or web link. The attackers' objective is to get the target to open the attachment or malicious link so that the malicious code can be executed, it said.

Keywords: Blackberry, Prime Minister's Office, government, hacking, NTRO, National Informatics Centre
source-beta.thehindu.com

China's rapid industrialisation and dash for growth is sparking environmental concerns. Photograph: PETER PARKS/AFP/Getty Images

China completed a resurgent 2009 with a huge rise in exports establishing China as the world's biggest exporter, ahead of Germany, for the first time. The juggernaut Chinese economy also revealed record monthly imports of crude oil and a vast renewed appetite for iron ore and copper.

Trade in December, according to figures from China's customs office, showed a massive 17.7% year-on-year jump in exports, dramatically outpacing a forecast for 4% growth. The huge increase came after 13 months of decline.

Crude oil imports averaged more than 5m barrels a day for a month for the first time in December, up by more than a fifth from November, as the country sucked in raw materials at a faster pace than expected.

Imports jumped by 56%, pushing China's overall trade surplus in the month down by 4% from November instead of the expected 3% increase.

While some experts said much of the increase was due to seasonal factors and quirks in commodities markets, it appears that the strength of demand from China is signalling a further rise in global trade during 2010.

Imports of unwrought copper rose by more than a quarter from November to 369,368 tonnes, more than expected, while copper scrap imports jumped an even bigger 46%. Soya bean imports hit a record 4.78m tonnes in the month, with a surge in supplies from the United States and Brazil. Exports of aluminium and finished steel were also up strongly. China's economy is predicted to grow 9.5% in 2010, topping last year's expected figure.

The figure will be welcomed by business leaders who argue that China needs to shrug off the effects of the downturn if global trade is to recover. China is widely seen as a key engine of growth, especially as the US economy remains in the doldrums, with rising unemployment and many of its major manufacturing industries still badly hit.

However, the increased consumption of raw materials is likely to fuel criticism that China is failing to meet its environmental obligations. A dash for growth is seen as incompatible with the need to minimise burning fossil fuels and felling rainforests. Open-cast copper mining and soya bean farming on previously protected rainforest, have been top of environmental concerns for several years.

The development research centre of the state council, a leading thinktank, said China's economy would remain robust as market-driven investment picked up while government-led stimulus spending slowed. It said real estate investment would buoy growth, while inflationary concerns remained mild.

China is understood to have bought oil contracts in Kuwait, Saudi Arabia and other Middle Eastern countries to secure oil ­supplies ahead of a boom in ­manufacturing. US and Brazilian farmers are also understood to be ready to increase supplies of Soya beans as domestic demand from the meat industry, which uses soya beans as a feedstuff, soars to record levels.

Adding to ­environmental concerns, China's steel mills undertook a massive production drive in 2009, partly in response to a $585bn government stimulus plan. ­Disregarding a 60% collapse in the export market, they produced almost half the world's steel in 2009.
source-guardian.co.uk

Countries around the world are beginning to hold celebratory events to welcome in 2010.

A massive fireworks display has taken place in Sydney, Australia, with some 5,000kg of explosives sent up around around the famous harbour bridge.

New Year's Eve this year will also see a rare blue moon - a second full moon in a month. The next will be in 2028.

The moon will be visible at midnight in the west but not until New Year's Day in Asia and Australasia.

Although it will not actually be blue, the full moon is expected to be a dramatic backdrop for fireworks.

New Year arrived first in the South Pacific. At midnight local time (1100 GMT) fireworks were set off over the Sky Tower in Auckland, New Zealand.

In Sydney some 1.5 million people were expected to attend the city's dramatic show, with fireworks sent up from the bridge, boats in the harbour and from buildings around the waterfront.

Crowds had been gathering since the early morning, some of them camping overnight to secure the best vantage point for the 12-minute midnight fireworks display.

Police minister Michael Daley warned those attending to avoid excessive drinking.

"If you're one of these fools that can't handle their grog and likes to go out and ruin other people's nights, make yourself a new year's resolution to grow up and behave yourself and start practising that on New Year's Eve," he said.

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The Sydney Morning Herald said the display would cost some A$264,000 (US$237,500; £147,000).

'Magical' display

The Japanese capital, Tokyo, will greet the new year in traditional style, with bells rung in temples at midnight.

The city's Sensoji Temple has been draped with banners wishing visitors a happy new year.

No major events were planned on mainland China - which celebrates the change of the lunar new year instead - but a fireworks display will be staged over Hong Kong's waterfront skyline.

Thousands of people are also expected to gather at Indonesia's National Monument for a display.

Despite heavy snowfall and temperatures down to -10C (14F), celebrations were planned for Red Square in Moscow.

"I wish everybody spiritual well-being in the coming year. I wish health to the children and all the best to all in the new year," said one city resident.

In the French capital Paris, the Eiffel Tower will be the scene of a "unique and magical" display, said city officials.

Fireworks stall in Manilla, Philippines (31 Dec 2009)
People bought fireworks in the Philippines to ward off bad spirits

The creator of the show, Bernard Schmitt, told the AFP news agency that one one point the tower would "transform itself into a giant Christmas tree with tinsel".

London's show will focus around the huge London Eye wheel on the banks of the River Thames. Those attending have been warned to prepare for temperatures of around 0C (32F).

Further west, an estimated one million people are expected to be in New York's Times Square to join in the countdown to midnight and see the famous New Year ball descend from its flagpole.

Security is high in the square, with partygoers banned from taking rucksacks or large bags into the area.

"We assume here that New York is the No 1 terrorist target in America," the city's Police Commissioner Raymond W Kelly was quoted as saying by the New York Times.

b source-http://news.bbc.co.uk