Google cyber attack linked to Chinese schools

According to The New York Times, the investigators probing the issue have linked these attacks to two schools, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, and Lanxiang Vocational School.

The attacks aimed at these companies were meant to steal computer codes and intellectual properties rights. The hackers mainly targeted the e-mails accounts of Google users who were actively involved in the human rights issue in China.

Possible source of attack
A U.S. military contractor helping the U.S. government track the source of attacks unleashed at U.S based firms linked computer science course taught by a Ukrainian professor at Lanxiang in China with the cyber attacks.

The revelation of the possible involvement of Chinese schools in the cyber attack has indeed come as a shock.

Lanxiang is a well know school in the country that has, over the years, gained a reputation for developing computer skills.

Even Jaio Tong is a prominent centre for computer learning, which boasts of its extensive information security programme.

Though the Chinese government has yet not commented, Lanxiang had denied any involvement.

A female faculty member of the school was quoted by Guardian as saying, “We did not know Google was hacked before the New York Times contacted us – when they called, we told them we know nothing but they still made the story up.

"Our students are middle school graduates, and we train them to use software like Photoshop. If our students are so skilled they can hack Google, then what are they here for?"

Who sanctioned the attacks?
The information that has been revealed does not provide an answer to who administered these attacks, and whether they were sanctioned by Chinese authorities or not.

Bruce Schneier, chief security technology officer at BT Group stated, “All we know is that this computer was involved--we don't know there if there was a human in front of the keyboard. It doesn't mean it began there."

The authorities are still investigating to track those who are behind these attacks.

Though it is yet not clear who is behind these attacks, Google is definitely contemplating censoring its search engine in China.