Episode 51 - Honker Union

On this episode: patriotism, race riots, maritime disputes, cybercrime, a hostage crisis, and the first generation of Chinese hackers. This is the story of the Honker Union hacking group.

Show Transcript

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Created, Produced & Hosted by Keith Korneluk

Written & Researched by Jim Rowley

Edited, Mixed & Mastered by Greg Bernhard

Theme Song You Are Digital by Computerbandit

Sources

The Dark Visitor: Inside the World of Chinese Hackers, by Scott Henderson

“A U.S.-Chinese Mid-Air Collision and “The Letter of Two Sorries,” Association for Diplomatic Studies and Training 

“Crackers Expand Private War,” Wired

“COLLISION WITH CHINA: THE OVERVIEW; BEIJING STEPS UP ITS WAR OF WORDS OVER AIR COLLISION,” New York Times

“Lin Yong: the commander-in-chief of the Sino-US hacker war, led 80,000 hackers and put the red flag straight into the White House homepage,” iNews 

“Chinese hackers accused of mass theft relating to online game Lineage in South Korea,” HitB Sec News

“Hackers Hijack Ebay Accounts,” Spiegel International

“Chinese hacker targets local Philippine govt website,” Techwire Asia 

“A Dispute At Sea Escalates China, Vietnam Tensions,” NPR

“China accuses Vietnam in South China Sea row,” BBC

“Hackers: the China Syndrome,” Popular Science

“Tibetan writer alleges harassment by Chinese police and nationalist Internet hackers,” The Sydney Morning Herald

“Japan confirms cyberattacks over island dispute,” ZDNet  

“Honker Union: Has the grandfather of Chinese Hacktivism returned?,” Reliaquest

“Patriotic Chinese Hacking Group Reboots,” The Wall Street Journal

“Revisiting the May 1998 Riots in Indonesia: Civilians and Their Untold Memories,” Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs

“UNREST IN INDONESIA: THE OVERVIEW; Indonesian Capital Engulfed by Rioting,” The New York Times 

“Indonesia Alert Economic Crisis Leads to Scapegoating of Ethnic Chinese, February 1998,” Human Rights Watch

“Indonesian Riot Police Open Fire At Protests, Killing Six Students,” The New York Times

“Nine Activists Return Home, Japan Holds 7,” China.org

“China Tells Japan to Release 7 Arrested on Disputed Island,” The New York Times

“Organized Chinese hackers hit official Japan sites,” The Japan Times 

"HACKER NATION: China's Cyber Assault," World Affairs 

“Tibet: China persecuting Tibetan Writer for Pro-Dalai Lama Opinion,” Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization 

“Google attack puts spotlight on China's "red" hackers,” Reuters 

“Philippines bus hostage crisis ends with 7 dead,” The San Diego Union Tribune 

“Gunman and 8 Hostages Dead in the Philippines,” The New York Times

“Hong Kong hostages killed in Manila bus siege,” BBC 

“Manila Kangtai Group was kidnapped by gunmen and how they were killed,” Oriental Daily

“This article is more than 13 years old Hong Kongers protest over Manila hostage deaths,” The Guardian