Australian central bank computers targeted by hackers

Australia's central bank has confirmed that it has been targeted by hackers.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) said it had “on occasion been the target of cyber attacks”, following a report in an Australian newspaper.

The report documented hacking incidents dating back to 2011, including malware embedded in emails.

The bank said no data had been lost and its systems had not been corrupted, but did not comment on reports the attacks originated in China.

China has frequently been blamed for similar cyber attacks, targeting economic or business information.

In a statement the RBA said: “The bank has comprehensive security arrangements in place which have isolated these attacks and ensured that viruses have not been spread across the Bank's network or systems.

“At no point have these attacks caused the Bank's data or information to be lost or its systems to be corrupted.”

Malware used

According to an investigation by the Australian Financial Review, one of the attacks involved an email entitled “Strategic Planning FY2012″ which was sent to and opened by several members of staff.

It contained a malware application, which had managed to bypass existing security controls, but was not able to spread through the computer system.

Another targeted information relating to the G20 meetings.

The bank did not comment on reports that the malware came from China.

The Chinese government has repeatedly denied that it is behind cyber attacks, which security experts say target sensitive governmental and commercial information.

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U.S. and China reach to a deal for new sanctions on North Korea.

(UPI) — The United States and China have a deal for new sanctions on North Korea, paving the way for a new U.N. resolution, U.N. diplomats told The Wall Street Journal.

Under the deal, the new resolution to be introduced Tuesday in the U.N. Security Council would include both the existing as well as new ones against North Korea over its Feb. 12 nuclear test, which was the isolated Communist country's third such test since 2006.

A U.N. diplomat told the Journal China, North Korea's closest ally, has already voted for three sets of sanctions against its neighbor for its previous nuclear tests and ballistic missile launches in violation of Security Council resolutions.

“There is a meeting tomorrow and we will look at a text that the U.S. and China will present together,” a Security Council diplomat told the Journal. “They have reached a deal.”

The existing sanctions against North Korea were tightened in January after Pyongyang conducted its December long-range rocket launch, seen by the international community as a cover to test its long-range ballistic missile capability.

Under the new deal, a diplomat told the Journal the Security Council should adopt the new sanctions by the end of the week.

Currently, North Korea is banned from conducting all ballistic missile and nuclear tests and import and export of nuclear and ballistic missile-related material. The council also imposed an embargo on all arms imports and exports other than small arms as well as financial and travel sanctions on a number of individuals and North Korean companies.

The Security Council also has put in place a regime requiring all nations to inspect goods entering and leaving North Korean ports for contraband.

The Journal quoted diplomats that China would not agree to an oil embargo because of concerns about the North Korean economy collapsing which in turn would lead the massive inflow of refugees into China.

The Journal said it wasn't clear what the new sanctions would be besides adding new companies and individuals to the financial and travel-ban list.

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