PERTH, Australia — On July 29, loudspeakers and screens for national flag carrier Vietnam Airlines were hijacked in two major Vietnam airports in the cities of Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Offensive messages and what has been described by state media as “distorted information” about Vietnam and the Philippines’ claims to the South China Sea were displayed on flight information screens and broadcast over the public address systems.

The breach forced many airlines across the country to perform all check-ins manually. According to Vietnamese media, Chinese hacking group 1937CN first claimed responsibility for the hack, but has now refused to confirm or deny any affiliation. However, the group has been associated with many other cyberattacks in Vietnam, according to Vietnamese news reports, and it is largely believed that this hijack is Chinese affiliated as well.

The hack comes after the Hague Permanent Court of Arbitration’s ruling against China over sovereignty issues with the Philippines in the South China Sea, and it is the latest example of the fight over the South China Sea moving online. Though the ruling was in favor of the Philippines, the waters are contested by Vietnam, too, and any win against China for one is a win for all claimants.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/helen_clark/china-hack-vietnam-south-china-sea_b_11357330.html