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Burma journalists hit by 'state-sponsored' hacking

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Thomas Fuller, Bangkok – Several journalists who cover Burma said Sunday that they had received warnings from Google that their email accounts might have been hacked by "state-sponsored attackers."

The warnings began appearing last week, said the journalists, who included employees of Eleven Media, one of Burma's leading news organisations; Bertil Lintner, a Thailand-based author and expert on Burma's ethnic groups; and a Burmese correspondent for The Associated Press.

Taj Meadows, a Google spokesman in Tokyo, said that he could not immediately provide specifics about the warnings, but said that Google had begun the policy of notifying users of suspicious activity in June.

"I can certainly confirm that we send these types of notices to accounts that we suspect are the targets of state-sponsored attacks," Mr Meadows said.

Google has not said how it determines whether an attack is "state-sponsored" and does not identify which government may be leading the attacks.

Some journalists speculated that attempts to hack into email accounts might be linked to the conflict in northern Burma, where ethnic Kachin rebels have engaged in fierce fighting with government troops in recent weeks for control over territory near the border with China.

More broadly, the cyber security of nations has emerged as a political issue in recent months. In Washington, the chairman of the House Intelligence Committee said Sunday that the US is vulnerable to cyberattacks that could shut down financial services or destroy information that companies need for daily operations.

Mike Rogers, speaking to the CBS, said 95 per cent of private sector networks are vulnerable, and most have already been hit, with targets including personal identities, money from banks, blueprints for next-generation jobs. At risk are private companies and public agencies, he said.

Some estimates put the value of information hacked at up to $US400 billion ($A390 billion) a year. But many companies are reluctant to admit they have been attacked to keep a competitive edge and avoid reactions from shareholders.

The Republican says hackers have stepped up attacks since last year, and he points to China and Iran.

"They're taking blueprints back, not just military documents, but civilian innovation that companies are going to use to create production lines to build things," Mr Rogers said. "They're stealing that, repurposing it back in nations like China and competing in the international market."

Mr Rogers tells CBS the US government has, essentially "set up lawn chairs, told the burglars where the silver is... and opened the case of beer and watched them do it".

[The New York Times, AP.]