World's most prolific hackers are in China

[eridani]

http://www.nationofchange.org/chinese-based-hacking-proving-pervasive-presents-opportunities-diplomacy-1335104180

China’s in a rush to catch up with and surpass the United States, and evidence suggests that hacking into and stealing data from the computers of strategic U.S. companies, research labs and government departments is one of its favored tools.

Hackers in China are now considered among the world’s best, and certainly most prolific, and Washington is amping up its efforts to limit the threat.

A cramped little office, in a hastily developed area of Beijing that still feels half-rural, is home to one of China’s first self-described “patriotic computer hackers.” He talks about how it all began, in college, a couple of decades ago.

“When I took a computer class, and I found an interesting thing called a ‘computer virus.’ A computer virus is a small-size program. If I can learn how to make a computer virus, I can get a special skill,” said Wan Tao.

Wan’s now edging up to middle age, and is, these days, a cyber-security consultant to a large western company. Back then, he was a student at Beijing’s Jiaotong University, known for its computer studies programs. And for turning out some of China’s better cyber-hackers. Wan Tao found his stride as a patriotic hacker in 2001, incensed that a Chinese pilot was killed while trying to thwart a U.S. spy plane.