Cheshire Cat Photo Blog(...said the Cat: 'we're all mad here....')

U.S. Analysts believe that they know the identity of the Chinese author of a critical piece of programming code (the code that exploited the previously unknown defect in Internet Explorer [IE]) that was used in the cyberattack on Google, Adobe, and 32 other Silicon Valley companies that did not identify themselves. The consultant used the security vulnerability in IE to break into computers and insert spyware, a researcher working for the U.S. government told the Financial Times. The Chinese freelance security consultant, in his 30’s, is NOT a full-time government worker, DID NOT launch the attack, and in fact WOULD RATHER NOT be used in such offensive efforts, according to the U.S. team.

Hey, but when you’re GOOD, you attract an audience! Sometimes, not the audience that you would want….

“If he wants to do the research he’s good at, he has to toe the line now and again,” the U.S. analyst said. “He would rather not have uniformed guys looking over his shoulder, but there is no way anyone of his skill level can get away from that kind of thing. The state has privileged access to these researchers’ work.”

A separate team of U.S. contractors has traced the launch of the attack to to computers at Shanghai Jiaotong University and Lanxiang Vocational School, according to two people familiar with that inquiry.

China’s state-run Xinhua news agency said officials at both schools denied involvement. Jiaotong University has one of the best computer security departments in the country according to U.S. analysts, with “former government cyber commanders” (whatever THAT means ) in residence.

Theoretically, outsiders COULD have compromised the machines at both schools before launching the attack. U.S. analysts said that at least Jiaotong University’s networks are closely monitored, which would make them an odd choice for an independent attacker who would want to avoid detection. Also, “Our investigation shows the hosts that did the attacks were not compromised that we could tell”, said an analyst involved in that probe.

-Bill at

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