Universities deny hard hit by cyber attack
Print Edition
CHINESE authorities stated 66 of the country’s universities may have been affected by the global “ransomware” attack, but rejected reports of widespread damage in higher-education computer systems as “malicious” hype.
The China Education and Research Network, which operates under the Ministry of Education, said late on Monday that 66 out of 1,600 Chinese universities were affected, because operating systems were not being regularly upgraded rather than any major security shortcomings in university systems.
Qihoo 360, one of China’s leading suppliers of anti-virus software, said on Sunday that at least 29,372 institutions ranging from government offices to ATMs and hospitals had been “infected,” singling out universities as particularly hard-hit.
But the China Education and Research Network hit back against such claims.
“These inaccurate statements have seriously misled public opinion, caused panic among teachers and students, and affected the normal order of instruction and life,” it said.
Peking University and Tsinghua University, two of the country’s premier institutions, issued statements saying quick security action prevented “large-scale” infection on their campuses, without giving details.
Major universities in Shanghai revealed on Monday they were not affected.
The indiscriminate attack began last Friday and struck banks, hospitals and government agencies worldwide, exploiting vulnerabilities in older Microsoft operating systems. But it appeared to have peaked over the weekend.
Security researchers on Monday said it bore the technical hallmarks of a North Korean hacking, though the evidence remained inconclusive.
Security experts say pirated software is particularly vulnerable to security threats, but so far no evidence has emerged indicating it had played any role in the virus’s spread in China.
Chinese state media quoted the official Cyberspace Administration of China as saying the virus’s spread had slowed significantly in China by Monday. It had urged computer users to install and upgrade security software.
Among major Chinese entities affected, state-owned oil giant PetroChina said its payment networks at nationwide petrol stations were disabled for about 12 hours over the weekend.
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