Cyber attacks hit France, suspicion falls on China

FRANCE HAS ADMITTED that cyber attackers targeted its Finance ministry, looking for files related to last year's G20 summit in Cannes.

Budget Minister Francis Baron confirmed that an investigation is taking place and, according to reports, investigators have some leads. The claims were first revealed by Paris Match magazine, which said more than 150 computers at the Finance ministry were affected last year.

Like many international cyber attacks, the finger of suspicion has fallen on the Chinese government, and the original report did say some information was directed to China. But that doesn't mean very much, as the information could simply be redirected somewhere else from there.

There is no conclusive evidence that the Chinese state is responsible, which is generally the case with similar attacks.

Google found out about that early last year after a breach of Gmail accounts in China. Although it never explicitly accused the state of spying, US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton demanded an explanation from the Chinese government.

The G20 brings finance ministers and central bank governors from countries like the UK, US and China together to talk about key economic issues. The summit was held in Cannes, France last November. China is a key member of the G20, due to its economic strength and importance to the financial markets now and in the future. µ