France investigates cyber espionage at defence helicopter firm

FRENCH AUTHORITIES are investigating a suspected case of cyber hacking and espionage at a helicopter engine company.

Turbomeca, a subsidiary of the defence firm Safran, had its computer networks hacked and data about propeller systems stolen, according to a report in Le Monde.

Reportedly about 10 people are being held in custody and the attack took place during the first eight months of 2010. There is some suspicion that the attack had help from company insiders.

The report linked the Chinese because Turbomeca is the country's leading helicopter engine supplier working with both private and state companies. Safran is also owned 30 per cent by the French state, which means there could have been a political motivation for the attacks.

Also, last year hackers targeted the French Finance ministry, looking for files related to the G20 summit in Cannes. The Chinese state was also suspected to have been involved in that attack, but there was no firm evidence to support that conclusion.

It seems too easy to point the finger at China, because organised crime also has the resources and motivation to pull off these types of attacks. It's just that China has previously been suspected of state sponsored hacking and espionage, with Google having directly accused the Chinese government of interfering with its technology. µ