Japanese Web sites attacked in tense dispute with China

A Japan-China dispute over the Senkaku Islands has led to cyberattacks, say Japan-based reports.

(Credit: Wikimedia Commons)

A tense territorial dispute with China has triggered cyberattacks, according to Japan-based reports.

Web sites at 19 Japanese banks and universities, among other institutions, have been hit with attacks in the wake of Japan's nationalization of the Senkaku Islands on September 11, according to Kyodo News Agency and other reports.

The Web site of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry statistics bureau, for example, has come under a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, Kyodo said.

Tohoku University, an elite science and engineering university, has also been targeted, Kyodo said.

It's not clear who's behind the attacks. So far, the Chinese government hasn't publicly addressed the reports in Japan.

The attacks were triggered on September 11 when the Japanese government purchased the Senkaku islands from private owners for about $30 million, effectively nation... [Read more]