China's dark web spawns a hard-to-crack hacker community

TOKYO: Users on the dark web in China trade hacking tips and other information that help drive a rising wave of data theft and other cybercrimes, experts say. "Seeking people who can hack South Korean or Japanese websites. No need to reply if you don't have the technique or experience," said a post on a Chinese dark website. The request was discovered Jan 25 by CNsecurity, a South Korean information security service provider. The post listed job search and staffing websites as targets, including those run by Tokyo companies Mynavi and Recruit as well as Japan's public employment service network, dubbed Hello Work, according to CNsecurity. The Chinese internet stands apart in a number of aspects, partly the result of authorities' attempts to shut out foreign information and platforms. This has given rise to a specialised online ecosystem inhabited by hackers. Dark websites in China a...