Alleged Chinese hacking schools sponsored by American companies

The Shanghai Jiaotong University is one of China’s top universities and has connections with high-profile American universities like Duke and the University of Michigan.

One of Jiaotong’s strongest departments is computer science, which has gained support from some of America’s biggest technology companies, including Cisco Systems. Due to the school's abundant talent in science and engineering, Microsoft and Intel have opened a research park next to the institute. Microsoft has also helped open a laboratory for intelligent computing and intelligent systems at the university.

Recently, Jiaotong students won an international computer programming competition "Battle of the Brains" sponsored by I.B.M., defeating Stanford and other prestigous institutions. The Chinese students took the top prize home for the third time in the last decade.

Jiaotong also has a faculty that specializes in Internet security. According to the school's Web site, its dean and chief professor have both worked on technology projects for China's People’s Liberation Army, reports The New York Times.

Security experts warn that it is difficult to find the origin of cyber attacks and that the digital footprints may be intended to mislead investigators.

The Times report says that some of the clues found by investigators of cyber attacks last year suggest the well-designed attacks may be traced back to Jiaotong University and its eastern campus, Lanxiang Vocational School in Shandong Province.

In response to suspicions, the two institutes denied any involvement in the attacks, targeting corporate files and e-mail accounts of human rights activists.

China has not launched an investigation, but online security experts assert that the Chinese government would need to be involved to find the perpetrators.

“The U.S. would not be able to trace this” back to the source, said O. Sami Saydjari, the founder of the Cyber Defense Agency, a private Web security firm based in Wisconsin. “We cannot trace it beyond borders. We’d need the cooperation of the Chinese.”

Microsoft said in a statement: “We condemn cyberattacks and industrial espionage no matter who is ultimately responsible. We hope officials will conduct a full investigation and cooperate fully with international authorities to get to the bottom of this situation.”

Google and other American companies that fell victims of the cyber attacks have declined to comment.