This Online Job Listing Seeks Recruits For China's Alleged Elite Military Hacking Unit

The world is still reeling from this week's huge Mandiant report on Chinese hacking, which not only directly linked attacks on the US to the People's Liberation Army — amazingly finding the Shanghai building that the hacks appeared to come from.

The report even went on to say that the alleged military hackers within PLA Unit 61398 appeared to enjoy good benefits and pay.

Of course, China denies all this, and it's fair to doubt some of the findings.

However, a job advertisement from 2004 found by enterprising netizens on the website of Zhejiang University certainly looks a little fishy. The advertisement says that "Unit 61398 of China’s People’s Liberation Army (located in Pudong District, Shanghai)" is looking for "computer science" students.

We've included an image and a translation of the posting below, both via China Digital Times:

Translation:

The Graduate School has received notice that Unit 61398 of China’s People’s Liberation Army (located in Pudong District, Shanghai) seeks to recruit 2003-class computer science graduate students. Students who sign the service contract will receive a 5,000 yuan per year National Defense Scholarship. After graduation, students will work in the unit.

Interested Zhejiang University 2003-class graduate students should please contact Teacher Peng in the Graduate Division before May 20. (Cao Guangbiao room 108; phone: 87952168)

Graduate Division
May 13, 2004