Hackers in hairdressing school? – Google hacking report greeted with ridicule China

Western media is again ramping up attack on China over the Google hacking incident.

On February 18, the New York Times named Shanghai Jiaotong University and Lanxiang Vocational School in Shandong Province as sources of last December’s cyber attacks on Google, Adobe and other companies that aimedto steal personal information.

Chinese netizens, however, jeered at the report.

Hacking probe raises lanxiang school’s popularity

One school under investigation for alleged links to last year’s cyber attacks on Google and other US companies has already reaped some benefit from the controversy: a surge of aplicants.

Local media reported that Lanxiang Vocational School in Shandong has been flooded with calls from potential applicants since reports surfaced that it was linked to the attacks.

“We have been reeiving phone calls from all over the country, asking about our computer science program, which is one of the most popular programs in our school,” said a professor who requested anonymity.

US law enforcement and intelligence officials are investigating links between the cyber attacks and two Chinese schools: Lanxiang and Shanghai Jiaotong University, said a person familiar with the investigation. The development was initially reported by the New York Times. Google cited the attacks in its threat to halt operations in China last month.

While Jiaotong is one of the country’s most prestigious universities, Lanxiang was a little-known vocational school bfore it made headlines last week. Besides computer science, it also offers courses in cooking, auto repair and hairdressing, Xinhua News Agency reported.

Lanxiang has denied any link to the attacks.

(Bloomberg)