Looking back at the outgoing year 2023, the global situation has undergone profound and complex changes, with incidents of theft and leakage of secrets emerging one after another, and the risks and challenges facing mankind have become more and more severe.
1.Biden "Documentgate".
White House lawyers said that 10 classified documents were found in a Biden office in Washington, and the US Department of Justice and the National Archives immediately launched an investigation. More than a decade later, U.S. Department of Justice investigators found more classified documents after searching Biden's home in Wilmington, Delaware. The documents include U.S. intelligence memoranda and briefing materials on topics such as Ukraine, Iran and the United Kingdom. Biden responded that he was "surprised" to find classified documents and that he did not know what material was in them.
In an interview with PBS, Biden spoke for the first time about the discovery of classified documents in his office and home.
2.The UK's election regulator system was hacked.
The UK's election regulator said hackers breached the agency's network systems in August 2021 and were not discovered until October 2022. During those 15 months, the hackers did gain access to the personal information of UK voters from 2014-2022 through the election regulator's email server, although they were unable to gain access to any systems actually related to the election. According to data provided by the UK's electoral regulator, details of about 40 million people are kept in the voter register each year. Based on this data, the hack could be one of the largest information breaches in the UK's history.
3.Samsung ChatGPT leak.
According to South Korea's ** disclosure, after Samsung approved the introduction of ChatGPT in the semiconductor business department, in less than 20 days, there were 3 confidential information leaks in the department, resulting in confidential data such as relevant semiconductor equipment measurement data and product yield being completely stored in OpenAI's ChatGPT learning database. As soon as the news came out, it quickly detonated the restriction, ban and supervision of ChatGPT by large financial companies and data protection authorities in many countries and regions, causing widespread concern in the international community.
4.A Russian ministry has abandoned Apple phones for security reasons.
Sergei Kiriyenko, the first deputy director in charge of internal affairs of the Russian General Office, has asked the staff of the internal affairs department of the Russian ** office to abandon the use of American Apple brand mobile phones, according to Russian reports. The reason is that for security reasons, the department is responsible for internal affairs, social projects, the activities of the State Council, the development of information and communication technologies and communication facilities, and will also carry out work related to the 2024 elections in Russia.
5.The U.S. steals the privacy of users of social platforms.
Elon Musk, the "head" of the American social platform Twitter, said in an interview that the United States** can read all the information of all Twitter users. On this matter, China's spokesman Wang Wenbin said that it is not surprising that a country that does not respect the privacy of its allied leaders monitors users' privacy data on social networks. He noted that "what the United States accuses others of, either it has done or it is doing." "The United Nations has also expressed concern to the US side, pointing out that its surveillance violates international obligations.
6.The hacker's identity was locked in the attack.
The National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and 360 conducted a technical analysis of a spyware called "Second Date". Analysis reports show that the software was developed by the National Security Agency (NSA) for cyber espionage. The National Computer Virus Emergency Response Center and 360 have successfully extracted multiple samples of this spyware and locked down the real identities of the staff of the US Agency for the Cyber Espionage Operation behind the attack on Northwestern Polytechnical University.
7.Liang Chengyun's espionage case was announced.
Leung was born in Hong Kong in 1945 and joined the country's intelligence agency in 1983 when he went to the United States to run a restaurant. In the early 90s of the last century, Liang Chengyun began to return to China, and was hired as the vice president of the Jiangsu Overseas Exchange Association and the honorary chairman of the Lianyungang Overseas Exchange Association. He used these titles to frequently participate in social activities, and took the opportunity to spy and collect intelligence, seriously endangering me *** Suzhou Intermediate People's Court tried in accordance with the law, and publicly announced the verdict in the first instance on May 15, 2023, finding him guilty of espionage, sentenced to life imprisonment, deprivation of political rights for life, and confiscation of personal property of 500,000 yuan.
8.**Agency cracked the US Intelligence Agency espionage case.
The criminal suspect Hao, born in January 1984, is a cadre of a national ministry and commission. During his study in Japan, he became acquainted with Ted, the U.S. Embassy in Japan, and later met Li Jun through him. Before the expiration of Hao's study abroad, Li Jun revealed his identity as a member of the Tokyo Station of the U.S. ** Intelligence Agency, rebelled against Hao, and asked him to work in our core and vital units after returning to China. Hao signed an agreement with the US side to participate in espionage and accepted the US side's assessment and training. After returning to China, Hao tried to work in a certain ministry of our country in accordance with the requirements of the CIA, and secretly contacted CIA personnel many times in China, providing intelligence and collecting espionage funds.
9.Cheng Lei was deported at the end of her sentence.
Cheng Lei, female, born in June 1975, Australian, was originally employed by the first employee in China. In May 2020, he was dragged by a staff member of an overseas organization to illegally provide the content of state secrets he had mastered in his work to the overseas organization through his mobile phone in violation of the confidentiality clause signed with the employing unit. In March 2022, the Beijing No. 2 Intermediate People's Court sentenced Cheng Lei to two years and 11 months in prison for illegally providing state secrets abroad, with additional deportation. On October 11, 2023, the Ministry of ** announced that Cheng Lei was deported by the Beijing Municipal *** Bureau in accordance with the law after serving her sentence.
10.Hou's major espionage case.
Sichuan Provincial Government has cracked a major espionage case in which the US espionage and intelligence agencies plotted against a Chinese visiting student in the United States. Hou Moumou, as the main scientific research reserve talent of a military industrial unit, was locked up by the US ** Intelligence Bureau during his official visit to the United States, and under the co-optation and corruption of the other party, Hou Moumou provided the other party with confidential information in the field of scientific research when he was abroad and after returning to China. Hou Moumou has been transferred to the Chengdu Intermediate People's Court for trial.
In 2023, the changes in a century are still accelerating. Taking stock of the global theft and leakage of secrets, it is shocking and thought-provoking. Peace and security are the eternal topics of the whole world, and mankind is an indivisible security community.
The first rays of sunshine in 2024 are about to illuminate the planet. We must eventually join hands and move forward side by side, find the fundamental strategy for the long-term stability of the world, and jointly welcome a bright and beautiful tomorrow.
*: Confidentiality.