An unprecedented cyber espionage operation, Operation Shady RAT was found to have infiltrated computer systems of the most powerful nations around the globe but it’s not just military secrets or intelligence that the campaign was looking for, it was also used as a tool to steal intellectual property.
This hacking activity is more than just nuisance of course considering all the secrets that Operation Shady RAT has accumulated in the past five years. According to authorities, the campaign all points to China which later on used valuable intellectual property they have stolen in improving their own economy.
This kind of operation sponsored by the Chinese government may mean something to the Filipino reader even if the Philippines is not exactly a powerful country to begin with nor a country that has valuable IP information. The revelation of McAfee about the hacking campaign just means that the hacking of Philippine websites was not mere bullying by infuriated Chinese citizens but an organized one probably sponsored by the Chinese government itself.
(Sigrid Salucop)
