DON’T TRUST CHINA. CHINA IS ASSHOLE: Spyware hidden in Chinese tax software was probably planted by a nation-state, say experts. “The malware’s sophistication, and the lack of an obvious quick payoff, seems to show it was planted by a nation-state, says cybersecurity firm Trustwave.”

Earlier this year, a multinational technology vendor doing business in China was instructed by its Chinese bank to install software to pay local taxes.

The tax software was legitimate, but embedded inside it was a nasty surprise, according to a new report by a private security firm: A sophisticated piece of malware that gave attackers complete access to the company’s network.

The firm, Trustwave, has dubbed the malicious software “GoldenSpy,” and is warning others in a report released Thursday to search their networks for it.

It’s the latest example of how companies and individuals should take special care when operating in China, said Brian Hussey, a former FBI cyber specialist and Trustwave’s vice president for threat detection and response.

Once again, the headline refers to the Communist People’s Republic China on the mainland, and not the well-run Republic of China on Taiwan.