Attackers who breached Google Inc.’s systems last year gained access to computer code for the software that authenticates users of Google’s email, calendar and other online programs, according to a person familiar with the matter.

The code was contained in a repository that contained code for Google’s online applications and was also breached, this person said.

Evidently, the hackers in question are not limiting themselves to Google attacks:

The group, which is believed to be Chinese [implications that they are sponsored by the government] and has been identified by investigators by its attack methods, has broadened its victims to include law firms and utility companies, this person said. It’s been penetrating companies at a rate of at least 20-50 new companies a week, this person added.

Outside of hardening one’s own security, what other steps should be taken to put a stop to these activities? As in war, land mines are sometimes used to keep ground forces from advancing. My tech knowledge is insufficient, but I wonder if there are cyber mines which could be strategically placed to give hackers pause before proceeding.

Photo by Reuters

In the past three years, the number of Chinese applicants to Georgetown University’s freshman class rose from 95 to 208. At George Mason University, the total went from 54 to almost 100, and at George Washington University, it increased from 170 to 350. Brown University’s applications went from 166 to nearly 500, and Stanford University’s, from 268 to more than 400. At the University of Washington, the number soared from about 250 three years ago to nearly 1,600 this year.

And don’t expect this trend to abate anytime soon. Say what you will about the economy; U.S. colleges are still considered by the Chinese as #1 in higher education.

“People just think the education offered in the U.S. is undoubtedly the best in the world,” said Betty Xiong, 20, a U-Va. junior from Shanghai.

One phenomenon I’ve noticed is that no one seems to care much about the flu in the U.S., while here in China they are acting like it’s the apocalypse. I check news headlines every day, and it is rare that I read anything in U.S. publications about swine flu reports any more–really nothing for the last month and a half. I’m guessing China had a very bad experience the first time around with SARS, and they don’t want a repeat performance. Understandable. Additionally, hygiene here is not what it should be, particularly in the countryside, and the disease could catch fire rapidly. So why the relative indifference in America? Is it because the medical care is better? Is it just like any other flu so people are unconcerned? Is the government telling the press to downplay it? What is it? Please comment with your ideas.

In the meantime, my trip planning will include buying lots of crossword puzzles and pc games so that I have plenty to do in isolation after I return from my trip home.

Photo by El_Enigma

Visiting Xi’an, capital of central Shaanxi Province, from Friday to Sunday, Wen said employment was one of the government’s priorities for the sake of the country’s economy and for the future of individuals.

“College students, laid-off workers and migrant workers waiting for jobs are my biggest concern,” Wen told job hunters at an employment center.

He encouraged graduates from universities and colleges to find work in grassroots regions, and called on employers to create more jobs.

Read more.

There are two salient points that need to be made here: 1. The blocks are largely ineffective since those who wish to get around them can; and 2. The education of Chinese and foreign students here is being deleteriously affected. I want to direct my comments to the second point.

There are tens of thousands of classrooms throughout China which are using social media and networking as a focal point of curriculum delivery. I read recently that all upper primary to secondary students at the Shanghai American School, for example, are required to  blog. I have educated my students in the educational, organizational, research, and collaborative uses of media such as blogs, wikis, Facebook and Twitter. Almost daily, I am discovering new ways to use these tools, and my students are optimally engaged in classroom discussions and projects. I have seen research improve, writing acumen has grown exponentially, ownership and involvement in our discipline is as high or higher than it’s ever been. Needless to say, my students are upset by the recent actions.

No more can I use YouTube as an introduction to a topic, a jumping off point for a discussion, or uploading of student work. I’ve had to move student blogs from Blogger to WordPress to Ning, and now they’re all blocked. Some of my students were highly involved in expanding their research network on Twitter, but now they’re stifled. Facebook, for creating class and student groups and their corresponding content, and wikis are still available, but I really believe they will be blocked in the near future as well. My options: a) abandon the use of these tools–which I will not do; b) use a proxy server, which we’re now doing in a limited fashion, but it’s quite awkward; or c) set up my own server, which could be costly and labor intensive.

Ultimately, I would not have to make this choice if officials would carefully consider the long-term consequences of their policies. Hopefully, the powers that be will realize that the blocks are causing more damage than they are assisting them in their aims. Until then, I’ll have to continue to be resourceful.

Photo by s myers

Minister of Education Zhou Ji had predicted that the overall number of applicants would exceed 10 million – last year’s total was 10.5 million – but figures from local governments suggest the number of students taking part may be far fewer.

Still, can you imagine those numbers!

The exam has long been considered a life-changing opportunity for high school students seeking a better education and, in turn, a better job. But the economic crisis has had an impact. “Since the financial crisis last year, the grim employment situation has broken the ‘employment myth’ for those with a college degree. Some students changed their minds about getting a good job through higher education. They simply quit (from taking the exam),” said an anonymous recruitment officer with the Beijing Institute of Technology.

As I wrote here, the pressure for admission is immense as there are millions of applicants for positions at only a relatively few top-tier universities. The official line is that the drop in applications is due to the economy; I’m wondering if hopelessness about being admitted is a contributing factor.

Read more here.

Washington Note

Like all American journalists or public policy hands who visit China, I have been interested in what sites one could not get on to. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch are the perennial blocked sites (though Chinese authorities permitted access to most these sites during the Olympic Games). However, to be quite honest, many of the sites — particularly news and information sites that I could not access a year ago when i was in Beijing — are available.

This is true. Most international news outlets on the left, right, and center of the political spectrum are regularly available here on the mainland; however, social media and networking sites are not so fortunate. Clemons goes on:

And as a result of very interesting and candid discussions with the Vice Minister of the State Council Information Office,Qian Xiaoqian, I believe that many Chinese government officials know that the practice of blocking this site or that is undergoing significant change or reform. According to Vice Minister Qian, Chinese authorities restrict access to sites based on four principal criteria: the incitement of hatred between ethnic groups, racial discrimination, pornography, and violence. He said that since China’s reform process started 30 years ago, the State and China’s citizens have moved into a mode of significant tolerance of criticism and dissent but that the government still objected and would intervene to “oppose fabrication of stories.”

I’m sure that many will continue to argue for some time that the Chinese government plays an oppressive force when it comes to internet management and monitoring.

But I disagree.

Clemons supports his position simply by contending that there is just too much internet use in the country for the government to effectively block “harmful” sites. Though I’m hopeful, I’m not sure that I wholly accept this premise given my recent experience within the country. Last year, for example, Godaddy.com, a major player in website hosting, endured a wholesale block. Millions of websites were affected for a few weeks. If the powers-that-be are willing to impose that magnitude of control, it is hard to believe that the government won’t resort to similar tactics in the future. Clemons concludes:

Some may see the practice of filtering sites to be disturbing and to be ‘the story’ that needs to be told.

But I have to say that even with my skeptic’s eye, the trends in China are very positive when it comes to public inquiry over the net and when it comes to the forward-leaning, more enlightened stance of many government officials who are incrementally liberalizing access. That I think is the real story.

It will be interesting to see if access to YouTube is restored before my next visit to China.

In my view the blocks are puzzling. I can easily access information on any topic offensive to the government from here in China. Why the government chooses to block certain sites taking a contrary position while leaving others alone is somewhat of a mystery to me. The only suitable answer I can come up with centers on the “viral” potential of certain sites. That is, the most irritating blocks are happening within social media sites wherein news and other media can travel with light speed. This could certainly pose a problem for Beijing, which makes me worry for Twitter’s future here.

While the universe of women English China blogs may be smaller, these blogs add voices that may hint at the differences in experience between foreign men and women in China.  As a start, we compiled a directory of 56 women who blog about China primarily in English.  Most of these bloggers are currently in China but some are not.  The list also includes group blogs and anonymous blogs.

Saying China’s quarantine of 70 Mexican travelers was discrimination, Mexico announced it was chartering a plane Monday to bring its citizens home from the country.

…

China quarantined more than 70 Mexican travelers in hospitals and hotels there, and Mexicans on arriving flights were being taken into isolation, said Mexico’s ambassador, Jorge Guajardo. Even the Mexican consul in Guangzhou was briefly held after returning from a vacation in Cambodia. Calderon complained of the backlash against Mexicans abroad.

To date there has been one confirmed case of the H1N1 virus in China.

Comments?

The move surely hurts my stats, but that’s not what it’s all about anyway, is it? In the meantime, I’ve been able to move everything but images from WordPress to this site. I’m looking forward to getting back to blogging. Enjoy!