Another Successful Chinese Hacker Attack On A US Defense Contractor's Computer Network

US Military Secrets Leaked To Chinese Hackers For Three Years -- RT

A US military contractor was allegedly hacked by those associated with the Chinese military. The company reportedly ignored signs of security breaches, allowing hackers to access military technology and classified documents for three years.

QinetiQ North America was attacked by a Shanghai-based hacker group from 2007 to 2010, Bloomberg reported on Thursday. The hacking collective has been coined the “Comment Crew” by security experts.

The company is known for its contributions to national security – including software used by US forces in Afghanistan and the Middle East.

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More News On How Chinese Hackers Successfully Infiltrated A US Defense Contractors Computer Network

US military contractor spent years at total mercy of Chinese hackers -- Wired
Report claims Chinese hackers used local defense contractor system to breach Redstone Arsenal network -- al.com
Hackers Turned Defense Contractor QinetiQ Into Intelligence Playground -- eWeek
Report: Chinese hackers drained secrets from top US military and spy contractor -- Infosecurity
Cyber espionage: Military secrets served on a silver platter -- H-Security
China Tied To 3-Year Hack Of Defense Contractor -- Information Week
Defense contractor pwned for years by Chinese hackers -- Ars technica
China Cyber Hacking the U.S. for 5 Years, Report Confirms -- International Business Times

U.S. Navy's Newest Warship Can Be Hacked

The littoral combat ship USS Freedom (LCS 1) is underway conducting sea trials off the coast of Southern California. Freedom, the lead ship of the Freedom variant of LCS, is expected to deploy to Southeast Asia this spring. Wikipedia

Littoral Combat Ship Network Can Be Hacked, Navy Finds -- Bloomberg

The computer network on the U.S. Navy’s Littoral Combat Ship is vulnerable to hacking, according to findings by Navy cybersecurity specialists.

A “red team” assigned to test weaknesses in computer systems found major deficiencies last year on Lockheed Martin Corp. (LMT)’s USS Freedom, said a government official familiar with the findings who asked not to be identified because the Navy report hasn’t been made public. The Freedom, the first of the new ships to be deployed, sailed to Singapore last month for eight months of testing of its manning and logistics operations.

The concern about cybersecurity adds to previous questions about the $37 billion program to build ships intended to perform missions in littoral waters, those close to shore. The estimated price to build each vessel has doubled to $440 million, and its ability to survive to fight after an attack has been questioned.

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Update #1: Cyber vulnerabilities found in Navy's newest warship: official -- Reuters
Update #2: Cyber sunk: Hackers find flaws in IT security on new Navy vessel -- Washington Times
Update #3: US Navy warship cybersecurity 'vulnerable' -- The Telegraph

My Comment: This is one of those "ooops" moments. My prediction .... expect the costs to build these ships to now go up .... again.

Pro-Syrian Hackers Target High-Profile Twitter Feeds

Syria’s Pro-Assad Hackers Are Hijacking High-Profile Twitter Feeds -- Washington Post

The Syrian Electronic Army, an informal network of hackers who wage cyberwar in support of the Syrian government and President Bashar al-Assad, have found yet another way to harass Western Web users. Hackers identifying as part of the Syrian Electronic Army have hijacked a series of Twitter feeds over the last few weeks. The targeted feeds tend to be associated with Western organizations, particularly ones that somehow cover Syria.

Last month, hackers took over the Twitter feed and Web site for Human Rights Watch, disseminating the unsubtle message “Syrian Electronic Army Was Here.” Last week, they hacked into National Public Radio’s site and its Twitter feeds, criticizing NPR’s coverage of the Syrian civil war.

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Update #1: CBS Twitter Hacked by Syrian Electronic Army, Reports Say -- Epoch Times
Update #2: Syrian Hackers Hijack CBS Twitter Accounts -- Red Orbit

My Comment: An inconvenience .... but not the end of the world.

Another Cyber Attack Directed Against Iran

Iran 'Fends Off New Stuxnet Cyber Attack' -- BBC

A power plant and other industries in southern Iran have been targeted by the Stuxnet computer worm, an Iranian civil defence official says.


But the cyber attack has been successfully rebuffed and prevented from spreading, Iranian media report.

Iran's nuclear enrichment efforts were hit hard in 2010 by the Stuxnet worm, which was also blamed for problems at industrial plants and factories.

Tehran accused Israel and the US of planting the malware.

Provincial civil defence chief Ali Akbar Akhavan said Iranian industry was constantly being targeted by "enemy cyber attacks" and companies in Hormozgan province had recently been infiltrated, the semi-official Isna news agency reported.

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More News On Reports That Iran Is Being Targeted In A New Cyber Attack

Iranian news agency reports another cyberattack by Stuxnet worm targeting industries in south -- Washington Post/AP
Stuxnet attacks Iran again, reports say -- CNet
Iran says it fended off cyber attack on industrial sites -- NBC
Cyber-attack on communication system at Iran’s industrial facilities -- Voice of Russia
Iran thwarts cyber attack against electricity company -- Press TV (Iran)
Report: Iran Defeats New Cyber Attack -- Voice of America
Iran Suggests Attacks on Computer Systems Came From the U.S. and Israel -- New York Times

Update: Iran denies foiling cyber attack on industrial units: Report -- Economic Times

The Impact Of Hurricane Sandy Reveals What A Cyber Attack Can Inflict

Network News -- Joel Brenner, Foreign Policy

Sandy turned off the lights, the phones, and the heat. A cyber attack could make it all happen again.

Verizon's chief technology officer surveyed a flooded major switching facility in lower Manhattan and put it bluntly: "There is nothing working here. Quite frankly, this is wider than the impacts of 9/11." Damage from Sandy is estimated to reach $20 billion, and interrupted phone service is among the least of it. Flooding in New York's century-old subway system is without parallel. Bridges and roads, homes and businesses have been destroyed. Days after the storm, many businesses remain closed, their employees out of work. And tens of thousands are suffering -- cold and in the dark.

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My Comment: Our infrastructure is now dependent on the grid .... as a result, it's shutdown (as we can see in New York City and New Jersey) can be catastrophic.

Al Jazeera Web Site Hacked

WNU Editor: It looks like the hackers are from Syria. The Al Jazeera web site is here.