Chinese Hackers Steal The Plans For Australia's Newest HQ

Australian Spy HQ Plans Stolen By Chinese Hackers: Report -- Reuters

(Reuters) - Chinese hackers have stolen the blueprints of a new multi-million-dollar Australian spy headquarters as part of a growing wave of cyber attacks against business and military targets in the close U.S. ally, a Australian news report said.

The hackers also stole confidential information from the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which houses the overseas spy agency the Australian Secret Intelligence Service, Australia's ABC Television said late on Monday.

The ABC report, which did not name sources, said Chinese hackers had targeted Australia-based companies more aggressively than previously thought, including steel-manufacturer Bluescope Steel, and military and civilian communications manufacturer Codan Ltd.

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More News On Chinese Hackers Stealing The Plans For Australia's Newest HQ

PM says Chinese hacking claims inaccurate -- Herald Sun
Australian prime minister says reports of Chinese hacking are 'inaccurate' -- CNN
Australian PM refutes claims of Chinese cyber hit -- China Daily
Carr refuses to confirm China hack claims -- ZDNet
Security chief chided for not examining TV hacking claims before facing MPs -- The Australian
Report: Plans for Australia spy HQ hacked by China -- AP
Hacking: Chinese spies steal ASIO blueprints -- Herald Sun
Chinese Hackers Steal Blueprints for New Australian Spy Headquarters: Report -- Voice of America
China steals plans for new Australia spy HQ -- Global Post/AFP
China 'hacked' new Australian spy HQ -- Deutsche Welle
Chinese hackers steal Australia's new spy hub plan: Report -- Zee News
Australian government under pressure to say whether Chinese hacked new spy agency building -- Washington Post/AP
China dismisses Australian spy HQ hacking claims -- The Guardian

The Rise Of The 'Irrational' Hackers

'Irrational' Hackers Are Growing U.S. Security Fear -- Reuters/Aviation Week

Cybersecurity researcher HD Moore discovered he could use the Internet to access the controls of some 30 pipeline sensors around the country that were not password protected.

A hacking expert who helps companies uncover network vulnerabilities, Moore said he found the sensors last month while analyzing information in huge, publicly available databases of Internet-connected devices.

“We know that systems are exposed and vulnerable. We don’t know what the impact would be if somebody actually tried to exploit them,” said Moore, chief research officer at the security firm Rapid7.

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My Comment: I suspect that they are referring to hackers like these guys.

New U.S. Secret Service Chief Targeted By Hackers

Creeper: The website, pictured, claims to also have the information of national players like Hillary Clinton, John Brennan and stars like Kim Kardashian

New Secret Service Chief 'Hacked And Personal Information Published Online' Days After Appointed -- Daily Mail

* A Social Security number, phone numbers and a credit report are among those claimed to belong to Julia Pierson on site
* Secret Service investigating with accuracy of private data unclear

Personal information belonging to the Secret Service's new director Julia Pierson has been hacked and published online according to new claims now under federal investigation.

The hacking would be the latest in a string of such incidents against top officials that include first lady Michelle Obama and CIA Director John Brennan.

The information on the website included a Social Security number, phone numbers, and a credit report that includes accounts with The Home Depot, Sears, and Macy's.

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More News On The New Secret Service Chief Being Targeted By Hackers

Secret Service investigating hack of director's information -- Reuters
Secret Service head personal info on Internet, site claims -- CNN
Secret Service probing claim new director's information was hacked -- FOX News
Hackers dump details on new Secret Service director -- RT

My Comment|: Considering who they have targeted, these hackers are going to pay dearly for their crimes if they are caught.

The Life Of A Chinese Hacker In The People's Liberation Army

China Hacker's Angst Opens A Window Onto Cyber-Espionage -- L.A. Times

Young man's blog provides a rare glimpse of the secretive hacking establishment of the Chinese military, whose efforts have become a growing concern to the U.S.

BEIJING — For a 25-year-old computer whiz enlisted in a People's Liberation Army hacking unit, life was all about low pay, drudgery and social isolation.

Nothing at all like the unkempt hackers of popular imagination, the young man wore a military uniform at work in Shanghai. He lived in a dorm where meals often consisted of instant ramen noodles. The workday ran from 8 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., although hackers were often required to work late into the evening.

With no money and little free time, he found solace on the Internet. He shopped, chatted with friends and courted a girlfriend. He watched movie and television shows. He drew particular inspiration from the Fox series "Prison Break," and borrowed its name for his blog.

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My Comment: On my first visit to China (mid 1980s) I was surprised on how poor many Chinese men (in their 20s) lived. This unhappiness eventually erupted at Tienanmen Square in 1989. 24 years later this unhappiness and resentment of government control still exists .... and fact that I noticed on my trip to China last fall.

These Chinese hackers are not happy warriors ..... and if I was to hazard a guess .... it would not surprise me that most (if not all) of these Chinese hackers are very unhappy with their situation .... and to get back at their Chinese bosses they are probably feeding U.S. intelligence on what is actually happening in China's cyber warfare rooms.

US Urged To Recruit Master Hackers

US Urged To Recruit Master Hackers To Wage Cyber War On America's Foes -- The Guardian

Top defence expert says the US should avoid 'ridiculous' prosecutions and use hackers' skills to detect and track enemies.

Instead of prosecuting elite computer hackers, the US government should recruit them to launch cyber-attacks against Islamist terrorists and other foes, according to a leading military thinker and government adviser.

The brilliance of hacking experts could be put to use on behalf of the US in the same way as German rocket scientists were enlisted after the second world war, said John Arquilla, a professor of defence analysis at the US Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, California, in an interview with the Guardian.

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My Comment: John Arquilla is right about Russia being ahead of everyone in this particular field. The stuff that I am reading and hearing about (the advantages of being able to speak Russian) is totally unreported in the West. My only hope is that our capabilities in the West are just as good .... but we are keeping it secret.

Defense Contractors Are Hiring Hackers

Boeing engineers Tin Tam, left, and Jarrad Sims can spend weeks testing the company’s computer systems on a platform they designed called “cyber range in a box.” The pair are college pals from Cal Poly Pomona. (Christina House, For The Times / February 13, 2012)

With So Much At Stake, Companies Turn To Hired Hackers -- L.A. Times

Aerospace industry firms such as Boeing are looking beyond traditional recruiting outlets for savvy techies as they try to fend off more coordinated and complex threats from hackers.

Most weekdays, Jarrad Sims and Tin Tam, a pair of college buddies, ride their bikes to a computer center and try to hack into computer security systems belonging to Boeing Co.

Rather than having them arrested, Boeing is paying them to do it — a situation that the car-loving, video-gaming friends have pronounced "awesome."

For two years, the young engineers have worked side by side in a secluded unit where they design and thoroughly test ironclad security systems for the largest aerospace company in the world. Boeing's systems need to be capable of staving off hackers and keeping safe some of the nation's most prized intellectual property.

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My Comment: I predict that it will only be a question of time before these firms are in places like Russia, China, or India .... looking for hackers to hire.

Inside China's Hacker World

Previous Post: McAfee: One Country Behind "Operation Shady Rat" Cyber Attacks

My Comment: It appears that China is turning a blind eye to what these hackers are doing.

A Look At Cyberwarfare And Hackers From A Russian Perspective

Evgeny Kaspersky was trained as a cryptologist and went on to co-found Kapersky Labs, which makes antivirus, anti-spyware, anti-spam and other online security products. In a recent SPIEGEL interview, he discussed a number of what he sees as worrying trends in cyber security. Regarding the new era of cyber war, he stated: "This war can't be won; it only has perpetrators and victims. Out there, all we can do is prevent everything from spinning out of control. Only two things could solve this for good, and both of them are undesirable: to ban computers -- or people." Sergei Chirikov/ AFP/ Getty Images

'I Fear the Net Will Soon Become a War Zone'. An Interview With Anti-Virus Pioneer Evgeny Kaspersky -- Spiegel Online

Evgeny Kaspersky is one of Russia's top Internet virus hunters and IT entrepreneurs. In a SPIEGEL interview, he discusses a raft of recent hacker attacks on multinationals, the "total professionals" behind the Stuxnet virus and his fear of both personal and widespread cyber violence.

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My Comment: I love interviews like this one, and this from Spiegel does not disappoint. On a side note, the Independent has an excellent story on the secret world of hackers and the anarchy that they can unleash on the web. That link is here.

CIA Website Taken Down By A Cyberattack

Hackers Claim To Sting CIA Website, Attack Senate Site Again -- Techland/Time

Notorious hacker group LulzSec isn't pulling punches—it now claims to have taken down the CIA's website just today, Wednesday afternoon.

"Tango down - cia.gov - for the lulz," the group wrote on its official Twitter feed just after 6pm ET.

And again, shortly thereafter: "Lulz Security, where the entertainment is always at your expense, whether you realize it or not. Wrecking your infrastructures since 2011."

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More News On Today's Hacker Attack Against The CIA

CIA website down temporarily; LulzSec takes credit for the hack [Updated] -- L.A. Times
Hackers say they hit CIA website -- AP
Hackers say attacked CIA site, service disrupted -- Reuters
Hacking group LulzSec says it takes out CIA website -- MSNBC
Hackers take down CIA website -- Washington Times
Hackers take down CIA website, break into Senate site -- CBS News
Hacking Group Says It Brought Down C.I.A. Site -- New York Times
Hacker group's latest target: CIA -- Politico
CIA Web site down; LulzSec claims responsibility -- CNET
LulzSec Claims It Shut Down the CIA's Web Site -- The Atlantic
Hackers apparently hit CIA site -- USA Today
Now they've done it: Lulzsec hackers take down the CIA -- Dvice
What is LulzSec? -- Christian Science Monitor

An Army Of Hackers Are Now Informing For The FBI

A quarter of hackers in the US have been recruited by federal authorities, according to Eric Corley, publisher of the hacker quarterly, 2600. Photograph: Getty Images

One In Four US Hackers 'Is An FBI Informer' -- The Guardian

The FBI and US secret service have used the threat of prison to create an army of informers among online criminals

The underground world of computer hackers has been so thoroughly infiltrated in the US by the FBI and secret service that it is now riddled with paranoia and mistrust, with an estimated one in four hackers secretly informing on their peers, a Guardian investigation has established.

Cyber policing units have had such success in forcing online criminals to co-operate with their investigations through the threat of long prison sentences that they have managed to create an army of informants deep inside the hacking community.

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My Comment: I am skeptical that the FBI list of informers (in the hacking community) is that long .... but it is certainly an effective way to police the internet.

Major Defense Contractors See Their Networks Successfully Targeted By Hackers

Report: Major Weapons Makers See Networks Breached By Hackers -- CNET

Hackers have broken into the computer systems of Lockheed Martin and other major U.S. weapons manufacturers, potentially gaining access to information about future weapons programs as well as military technology currently in use, according to a Reuters report.

In an early report, the news agency cited a defense official and "two sources familiar with the issue." It has since said that it's unclear what--if any--data had been stolen.

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More News On U.S. Defense Contractors Being Targeted By Hackers

Lockheed Martin hit by cyber attack -- Yahoo News/AP
Lockheed Martin says hit by cyber incident -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Pentagon says impact of Lockheed attack "minimal" -- Yahoo News/Reuters
Lockheed says thwarted "tenacious" cyber attack -- Interactive Investor
Updated: U.S. defense supplier Lockheed Martin hit by cyber attack -- Venture Beat
March RSA Hack Hits Lockheed, Remote Systems Breached -- PCMag
US defense contractors’ networks breached by hackers -- Digital Trends
EMC Unit Said to Bolster Defense Security Systems After Breach Steals Data -- Bloomberg
Data Breach at Security Firm Linked to Attack on Lockheed -- New York Times
Lockheed Martin Hit By Security Breach -- Wall Street Journal
Lockheed Martin Shuts Down Remote Network Access After Detecting Intrusion -- eWeek
Lockheed Martin linked to data breach problem at RSA -- IBTimes
Lockheed Martin’s Security Networks Were Hacked -- Gizmodo

Voice Of America Website Hacked By Pro-Iranian Democrat Activists

WNU Editor: This is hilarious. Went to the Voice of America website, and I noticed that it was hacked. I have no idea on how long this will last .... but being in the security business with websites and servers .... this is rare and quite a treat to see.

Anyone Can Buy Illegal Access To U.S. Military Websites For $500

Got $500? You Can Buy A Hacked U.S. Military Website -- Computer World

IDG News Service - If you're a criminal looking for full control of the Web used by the U.S. Army's Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM), you can get it for just under US$500.

At least that's what one hacker is offering in underground forums. Security vendor Imperva found the black market sales pitch Thursday and posted details of the incident on Friday.

The hacker says he has control over a number of websites, including other military sites, government sites, and those belonging to universities, said Noa Bar-Yosef, Imperva senior security strategist. Prices range from $33 to $499, depending on how important or widely used the website is. "You can actually buy the capability of being the administrator of the website," she said.

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More News On Access To U.S. Government And Military Websites

You Can Buy Illegal Access to U.S. Military Websites for $500 -- ValleyWag
Gutsy Hacker Sells Access, Info -- PC World
Hacker Sells Access To Military, University Websites -- PC Magazine
Hackers Sell Access To Government, Military And University Websites -- Business Insider
Government, Military Sites for Sale in Hacker Forum -- eWeek

Iran Arrests "Nuclear Spies"

Erin Schell

Iran Says It Arrested Computer Worm Suspects -- New York Times

TEHRAN — Iran has arrested an unspecified number of “nuclear spies” in connection with a damaging worm that has infected computers in its nuclear program, the intelligence minister, Heydar Moslehi, said Saturday.

Mr. Moslehi also told the semiofficial Mehr news agency that the ministry had achieved “complete mastery” over government computer systems and was able to counter any cyberattacks by “enemy spy services.”

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More News On The Iran Arresting Those Responsible For Cyber Attack

Iran arrests 'nuclear spies' accused of cyber attacks -- BBC
Iran holds 'nuclear spies' -- Al Jazeera
Stuxnet Speculation Fuels Crackdown By Iranian Intelligence -- Forbes
Iran says several held for spying on nuclear sites -- Baltimore Sun
Iran 'detains western spies' after cyber attack on nuclear plant -- The Guardian
Iran detains suspected 'nuclear spies' - media -- RIA Novosti
Iran says several held for spying on nuclear sites -- Reuters
A Code for Chaos -- New York Times

The Stuxnet Worm Worries Those Responsible For Cyber Security

Israel has led the way in combating cyber attacks Photo: ALAMY

Israeli Cyber Unit Responsible For Iran Computer Worm – Claim -- The Telegraph

An elite Israeli military unit responsible for cyberwarfare has been accused of creating a virus that has crippled Iran's computer systems and stopped work at its newest nuclear power station.

Computer experts have discovered a biblical reference embedded in the code of the computer worm that has pointed to Israel as the origin of the cyber attack.

The code contains the word "myrtus", which is the Latin biological term for the myrtle tree. The Hebrew word for myrtle, Hadassah, was the birth name of Esther, the Jewish queen of Persia.

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More News On The Stuxnet Worm

Stuxnet worm brings cyber warfare out of virtual world -- AFP
Stuxnet Computer Worm Has Vast Repercussions -- NPR
Clues emerge about genesis of Stuxnet worm -- Christian Science Monitor
Sophisticated Stuxnet Worm Cause for Concern -- CTOEdge
Israeli unit behind Iran Nuclear plant attack -- Times of India
More Stuxnet tea leaves? -- Politico
Stuxnet raises virus stakes -- Asia Times
In a Computer Worm, a Possible Biblical Clue -- New York Times

A New Era Of Global Cyberwar

Stuxnet Worm Heralds New Era Of Global Cyberwar -- The Guardian

Attack aimed at Iran nuclear plant and recently revealed 2008 incident at US base show spread of cyber weapons

The memory sticks were scattered in a washroom of a US military base in the Middle East that was providing support for the Iraq war.

They were deliberately infected with a computer worm – the undisclosed foreign intelligence agency behind the operation was counting on the fallibility of human nature.

According to those familiar with the events, it calculated a soldier would pick up one of the memory sticks, pocket it and – against regulations – eventually plug it into a military laptop.

They were correct.

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More News On The Stuxnet Worm Network Attack

Mideast Mystery: Did Israel Cyber Attack Target Iran Nuke Program? -- CBS News
In a Computer Worm, a Possible Biblical Clue -- New York Times
Stuxnet 'cyber superweapon' moves to China -- Yahoo News/AFP
New virus threatens to wreak global havoc -- Zawya
Did The Stuxnet Worm Kill India’s INSAT-4B Satellite? -- Forbes
All Eyes On Stuxnet At Annual Virus Researcher Summit -- Threat Post
Stuxnet Trojan attacks could serve as blueprint for malware writers -- Search Security
Stuxnet Cyberattack on Iran Arms Hackers with New Ideas -- Tech News Daily
Stuxnet: Great cyberweapon or cyberfizzle? -- Global Security
A worm in the centrifuge: An unusually sophisticated cyber-weapon is mysterious but important -- The Economist
The meaning of Stuxnet: A sophisticated “cyber-missile” highlights the potential—and limitations—of cyberwar -- The Economist

Who Is Trying To Hack Into Iran's Nuclear Plants?

Image: from Red Orbit

Iranian Nuclear Plants Likely Target Of Foiled Cyber Sabotage -- The Guardian

Speculation grows that Israeli hackers were behind operation – but analysts say it may be impossible to identify perpetrators

Iran was the likely target of a sophisticated computer worm designed to sabotage factories and infrastructure which was almost certainly the work of a national government agency, security experts told the Guardian yesterday.

According to the security company Symantec, 60% of the computers infected by the Stuxnet computer worm are in Iran, which is where the malicious software, known as malware, was discovered by a Belarussian computer security company.

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More News On The Stuxnet Computer Worm

Iran's nuclear agency trying to stop computer worm -- AP
Cyber attack 'targeted Iran' -- Al Jazeera
'Stuxnet' Attack May Have Been Aimed At Iran: Experts -- Red Orbit
Stuxnet worm mystery: What's the cyber weapon after? -- Christian Science Monitor
Analysis: Iran "attack" points to rising cyber warfare risk -- Reuters

Are Hackers Targeting Iran's Nuclear Program?

Stuxnet Malware Is 'Weapon' Out To Destroy ... Iran's Bushehr Nuclear Plant? -- Christian Science Monitor

The Stuxnet malware has infiltrated industrial computer systems worldwide. Now, cyber security sleuths say it's a search-and-destroy weapon meant to hit a single target. One expert suggests it may be after Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant.

Cyber security experts say they have identified the world's first known cyber super weapon designed specifically to destroy a real-world target – a factory, a refinery, or just maybe a nuclear power plant.

The cyber worm, called Stuxnet, has been the object of intense study since its detection in June. As more has become known about it, alarm about its capabilities and purpose have grown. Some top cyber security experts now say Stuxnet's arrival heralds something blindingly new: a cyber weapon created to cross from the digital realm to the physical world – to destroy something.

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My Comment: For more info, Tech Herald examines this topic more closely.

Can The Pentagon Be Made WikiLeak-Proof?

Darpa’s Star Hacker Looks to WikiLeak-Proof Pentagon -- The Danger Room

Tomorrow’s WikiLeakers may have to be sneakier than just dumping military docs onto a Lady Gaga disc. The futurists at Darpa are working on a project that would make it harder for troops to funnel classified material to WikiLeaks — or to foreign governments. And that means if you work for the military, get ready to have your web, email and other network usage monitored even more than it is now.

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My Comment: Call me skeptical, but unless the Pentagon decides to develop and construct their own independent internet .... hackers and groups like Wikileaks will always be a problem.

Elite US Cyber Team Revealed For The First Time

Elite US Cyber Team Courts Hackers To Fight Terrorists -- Breitbart/AFP

An elite US cyber team that has stealthily tracked Internet villains for more that a decade pulled back its cloak of secrecy to recruit hackers at a notorious DefCon gathering here Sunday.

Vigilant was described by its chief Chet Uber as a sort of cyber "A-Team" taking on terrorists, drug cartels, mobsters and other enemies on the Internet.

"We do things the government can't," Uber said. "This was never supposed to have been a public thing."

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My Comment: So .... we now have elite teams in the U.S. cyber world. Hmmmm .... for some reason I am not surprised.