Hackers have attacked major government Web sites from Japan to the Philippines. Those figures are closing in on levels in the U.S., where reported hacking cases doubled last year to 1,154. But while most hacking in America and Europe is simply for bragging rights or political purposes, hacking in Asia is increasingly for illicit gain. Credit-card theft by hackers has also become worryingly common in Japan, South Korea and Hong Kong. Car smugglers in China place their orders for cars from Hong Kong via e-mail and Web sites.
Japanese gangs recruit women from the Philippines to work in brothels using Web sites.
Hong Kong gangs send intimidation letters by e-mail. Everywhere, digital assets such as music, video and graphical images are being pirated and resold on-line. No formal charges have been made, and the operators, both U.S.-based, deny in statements on their sites that they have engaged in illegal activity. Astudillo says there's little he can do in cases of illegality since sites are usually run from abroad and exploit legal loopholes to ply their trade. In Thailand, police believe that amphetamine dealers have begun using the Internet to boost the efficiency of their sales networks, which now reach as far as Taiwan and Hong Kong.