China Hijacks 15% of Web Traffic? Try .015%

Analysts: It's still a problem, but let's get the numbers straight

By John Johnson

Posted Nov 19, 2010 6:30 PM CST

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China Hijacks 15% of Web Traffic? Try .015% — In this 2008 file photo, a computer user is silhouetted with a row of computer monitors at an Internet cafe in Shenyang, in northern China's Liaoning province. (AP Photo/File)

The tech blogosphere was buzzing this week with reports that China hijacked 15% of the world's Internet traffic for about 20 minutes and did possibly nefarious things with it before letting it go. Only thing is, the real figure was probably closer to .015%, writes Andy Greenberg at Forbes. He cites this analysis at Arbor Networks.

Both Greenberg and the Arbor Networks analyst, Craig Labovitz, say the rerouting of data—maybe accidental, maybe not—still highlights a problem of web security. The actual amount involved doesn't change that. "But before researchers point the finger at China, perhaps they should try to agree on at least an order of magnitude–or three," writes Greenberg.
(More China stories.)

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