China’s Alleged Cyberattack on the New York Times

Cybersecurity is something of an oxymoron.

The story about alleged Chinese cyberattacks on the New York Times is a case in point.

The Times published a front-page story on Thursday that Chinese hackers repeatedly infiltrated its systems over four months this past fall.

It coincided with a Times investigation into the billions of dollars amassed by the family of Chinese premier Wen Jiabao.

Mikko Hypponen, chief research officer for the cyber security company F-Secure, says it fits the profile of other Chinese attacks.

"This was a targeted attack," says Hypponen. "They were after information, specifically journalists' contacts (in China)."

No-one can be sure what they got, adds Hypponen. "Even the Times may not know."