Skip to main content

Chinese Filter Software Opens Hacking Risk

Chinese Filter Software Opens Hacking Risk

It would appear that China’s idea of supposedly safeguarding its citizens from offensive material by having the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software on all computers isn’t so safe after all.

Chinese experts have said that the software is full of faults and could leave the computers open to being taken over by hackers. That’s not good news when the government has mandated that all computers in the country must install it, and a reported three million have already downloaded it.

Isaac Mao, a blogger and social entrepreneur in China who’s also a research fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Center for Internet and Society told the BBC:

"We found a series of software flaws," pointing out that communications between the software and company servers were unencrypted, which could allow hackers to "steal people’s private information" or "place malicious script" on computers in the network to "affect [a] large scale disaster."

It could, for instance, lead to the creation of a botnet on an unbelievable scale.

Of course, there’s been a backlash from some Chinese citizens, as well as privacy advocates, but it appears that the software is very far from being all that. Some have said it only works with IE, meaning Linux and Mac are unaffected, while other have reported plenty of freedom with Firefox. And where it does work, it apparently often bans legitimate as well as illegal content.

Editors' Recommendations

Digital Trends Staff
Digital Trends has a simple mission: to help readers easily understand how tech affects the way they live. We are your…
What Comes Next: How tech is helping gyms and salons open safely
what comes next episode 2  gyms abc

In our new series What Comes Next, Riley Winn takes a look beyond the current state of COVID-19 at the steps businesses are taking as we move into the next phase of reopening. In this episode, Winn explores the reopening plans for gyms and hair salons, two industries that are using new tech to make some big changes to ensure the ongoing safety of their employees and customers.

“The next time you check into the gym, it’s going to take a little longer,” Winn points out. “Gyms are asking members to sign health waivers every time they enter, and doing temperature checks.” Many will be requiring masks during workouts “so it may be a good time to invest in a training mask that can adhere to the new rules,” he says. Gyms will also be assigning personal spray bottles of disinfectant to every member so the equipment can be thoroughly cleaned by both the prior and current users.

Read more
What Comes Next: How tech helps restaurants and stores open safely
what comes next episode 3 business owner reopening a restaurant while wearing facemask

In our new series “What Comes Next,” Riley Winn takes a look beyond the current state of COVID-19 at the steps businesses are taking as we move into the next phase of reopening. On this episode, Winn looks into how restaurants and stores will be using different technologies to reopen during the pandemic.

Reducing contact points between humans goes a long way in reducing the spread of viruses, and there are several new technologies based on robotics and automation that may be springing up in a restaurant or store near you. “Maki makes sushi-making robots that not only speed up preparation, but also reduces the human interaction,” Riley notes. “And robots aren’t just making sushi, they’re making coffee too.” In South Korea, cafes are using robotic baristas, and even robot servers to bring food out to the diners' table.

Read more
The best mind-mapping software

Brainstorming sessions are great, but sometimes you can drown in a thicket of ideas, half-concepts, and free-floating words. If that sounds familiar, you might want to consider a mind-mapping tool. Mind maps are digital flow charts that can be used to describe ideas and list possibilities.

In more advanced forms, they can also be used to describe complex structures and concepts so your entire team can better understand them. Here are the best mind-mapping software options available, their most impressive strengths, and how you can download them for your next big meeting.
MindMeister (free)

Read more