China: August 23, 2003

Archives

A recent spate of rapidly spreading computer viruses (like SoBig) have hurt Chinese computer users more than those in the West. About a third of China's 68 million Internet users are thought to have been hit. Anti-virus software is less common in China, and most users have illegal software installed, meaning they have less access to technical support when something goes wrong. The military significance of this is that any Chinese use of cyberwar weapons would likely hurt Chinese civilian users more than those in Western nations.