Hacking The High Ground
Not content to merely cyberattack our civilian and military computer systems every second of every day, the Chinese have now taken their hacking attacks to a whole new, higher level.
Chinese Military Suspected in Hacker Attacks on U.S. Satellites
Computer hackers, possibly from the Chinese military, interfered with two U.S. government satellites four times in 2007 and 2008 through a ground station in Norway, according to a congressional commission.
The intrusions on the satellites, used for earth climate and terrain observation, underscore the potential danger posed by hackers, according to excerpts from the final draft of the annual report by the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission. The report is scheduled to be released next month.
"Such interference poses numerous potential threats, particularly if achieved against satellites with more sensitive functions," according to the draft. "Access to a satellite's controls could allow an attacker to damage or destroy the satellite. An attacker could also deny or degrade as well as forge or otherwise manipulate the satellite's transmission."
Hackers Interfered With Two U.S. Satellites, Draft Report Says
Hackers Interfered With 2 US Government Satellites
Hackers reportedly behind U.S. government satellite disruptions
Hackers Targeted U.S. Government Satellites
Chinese military may have hacked US satellites
China may have hacked US satellites
U.S. satellites tampered by hackers
Hackers interfered with two U.S. satellites, report says
Chinese hackers suspected of interfering with US satellites
New hacker target: Government satellites
Chinese hackers may have attacked U.S. satellites
China suspect in US satellite interference: report
US reportedly attacked by Chinese hackers linked with the military
US Satellites hacked by Chinese Military says Congressional Commission
Given their ongoing and constant obsession with conducting cyberwarfare, it's hardly surprising that the Chinese would be interested in attacking satellites. After all, in the event of hostilities, taking out the enemy's satellites would effectively render them "blind". The U.S. military is particularly dependent on satellite technology for communication and navigation, so it would only be logical for the Chinese, either by hacking or with kinetic strikes, to attempt to neutralize our satellite network and with it our technological advantage. The question is, what are we doing to counter this extremely obvious and serious threat?
/does anyone still remember how to navigate using a map and compass?
Filed under: Blog Entry | Tagged: Access, According, Achieved, Allow, Annual, Annual Report, Attack, Attacker, Attacks, China, Chinese, Chinese Military, Civilian, Climate, Commission, Computer, Computer Hackers, Computer Systems, Congressional, Congressional Commission, Controls, Cyberattack, Cyberattacks, Damage, Danger, Degrade, Deny, Destroy, Draft, Earth, Earth Climate Observation, Excerpts, Final, Final Draft, Forge, Functions, Ground Station, Hack, Hacker, Hacker Attacks, Hacking, Interfered, Interference, Intrusions, Manipulate, Military, Next Month, Norway, Numerous, Observation, Particularly, Posed, Poses, Potential, Potential Danger, Potential Threats, Released, Report, Satellites, Scheduled, Sensitive, Sensitive Functions, Suspected, Systems, Terrain, Terrain Observation, Threats, Transmission, U.S., U.S. Government, U.S. Government Satellites, U.S. Satellites, U.S.-China Economic And Security Review Commission, Underscore, United States |	Leave a comment »
Is Our Back Door Open?
Posted on July 9, 2011 by Killian Bundy
Gee, I wonder which computer component manufacturing country might be responsible for this? Hmmm, let me think.
(you might want to skip to 51:47)
U.S. Suspects Contaminated Foreign-Made Components Threaten Cyber Security
Some foreign-made computer components are being manufactured to make it easier to launch cyber attacks on U.S. companies and consumers, a security official at the the Department of Homeland Security said.
"I am aware of instances where that has happened," said Greg Schaffer, who is the Acting Deputy Undersecretary National Protection and Programs Director at the DHS.
Schaffer did not say where specifically these components are coming from or elaborate on how they could be manufactured in such a way as to facilitate a cyber attack.
But Schaffer's comment confirms that the U.S. government believes some electronics manufacturers have included parts in products that could make U.S. consumers and corporations more vulnerable to targeted cyber attacks.
A device tampered with prior to distribution or sale could act as a "Trojan horse" in the opening wave of an international cyberwar. Contaminated products could be used to jeopardize the entire network.
DHS: Imported Consumer Tech Contains Hidden Hacker Attack Tools
Tomorrow's cyberwarfare may be carried out by pre-infected electronics: DHS
Malware Comes with Many Gadgets, Homeland Security Admits
Supply chain security – DHS finds imported software and hardware contain attack tools
U.S. official says pre-infected computer tech entering country
Homeland Security Admits Hidden Malware in Foreign-Made Devices
Homeland Security Finds Your Electronic Device Poses Risks?
Threat of destructive coding on foreign-manufactured technology is real
Homeland Security Official: Some Foreign-Made Electronics Compromise Cybersecurity
White House's Cyberspace Policy Review (PDF)
So, Mr. Schaffer "did not say where specifically these components are coming from." Well, here, let me help, it's obviously China. There, how hard was that? The next question is, what are we doing about it?
Our national power grid, electronics infrastructure, you name it, very few of the critical components are manufactured in the U.S. anymore and if there exists a series of back doors, enabling a hostile country, like China, to preemptively take it all down at once, we're in serious, catastrophic trouble territory, so far up the proverbial [expletive deleted] creek without a paddle we're no longer visible. And we'd be down for the count too, because we don't have the U.S. manufacturing capability to pick ourselves up off the canvas
/the end game scenario this revelation portends would make Pearl Harbor look like a sorority pillow fight
Filed under: Blog Entry | Tagged: Act, Acting Deputy Undersecretary National Protection And Programs Director, Aware, Believes, China, Companies, Components, Confirms, Consumers, Contaminated, Contaminated Foreign-Made Components, Contaminated Products, Could Act, Cyber Attacks, Cyber Security, Cyberattacks, Cybersecurity, Cyberwar, Department Of Homeland Security, Device, DHS, Distribution, Easier, Elaborate, Electronics, Electronics Manufacturers, Entire Network, Facilitate, Foreign-Made, Foreign-Made Components, Greg Schaffer, Happened, Included, Included Parts, Instances, International, International Cyberwar, Jeopardize, Launch, Manufactured, Manufacturers, Neal Ungerleider, Network, Official, Opening Wave, Parts, Prior To, Prior To Distribution, Products, Sale, Security, Security Official, Suspects, Tampered, Tampered With, Targeted, Targeted Cyber Attacks, Threaten, Trojan Horse, U.S., U.S. Companies, U.S. Consumers, U.S. Government, United States, Vulnerable |	Leave a comment »
Aid And Comfort To The Enemy
Posted on June 20, 2011 by Killian Bundy
Let's see, China launches cyberattacks and conducts internet espionage against the United States 24/7/365 and our U.S. Department of Homeland Security is warning China about their vulnerabilities? WTF?
China's Infrastructure Vulnerable to Cyber Attack
Software widely used in China to help run weapons systems, utilities and chemical plants has bugs that hackers could exploit to damage public infrastructure, according to the Department of Homeland Security.
The department issued an advisory on Thursday warning of vulnerabilities in software applications from Beijing-based Sunway ForceControl Technology Co that hackers could exploit to launch attacks on critical infrastructure.
SCADA Vulnerabilities Patched in Two Industrial Control Software from China
Chinese Weapon Systems Vulnerable To SCADA Hack
US warns China software risk to public infrastructure
US Warns of Problems in Chinese SCADA Software
Software bugs discovered in Chinese-made applications
China's weapons systems have exploitable software bugs
Department Of Homeland Security Cites China Vulnerability
Exclusive: China software bug makes infrastructure vulnerable
US reveals Stuxnet-style vuln in Chinese SCADA 'ware
Critical vulnerability in industrial control software
China is not our friend, why are we feeding the hand that bites us? Why aren't we keeping these discovered Chinese vulnerabilities to ourselves in case we might actually need to use them in the event of escalated hostilities with China?
/and just when did the DHS become the CDHS, Chinese Department of Homeland Security, protecting the homeland of a hostile country?
Filed under: Blog Entry | Tagged: Advisory, Attacks, Beijing, Beijing-Based, Bugs, Chemical Plants, China, Critical Infrastructure, Cyber-Attack, Cyberattacks, Damage, Department, Department Of Homeland Security, DHS, Dillon Beresford, Espionage, Exploit, Hackers, ICS-CERT, Industrial Control Software, Infrastructure, Internet, Issued, Launch Attacks, Public Infrastructure, SCADA, SCADA Vulnerabilities, Software, Software Applications, Stuxnet, Sunway ForceControl Technology Co, Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition, U.S. Industrial Control Systems Cyber Emergency Response Team, United States, Utilities, Vulnerabilities, Vulnerable, Warning, Weapons Systems, Widely Used, WTF |	1 Comment »
Have We Attacked China Yet?
No sooner was it publicly revealed that the United States would now treat damaging cyberattacks by other nations as an act of war, threatening retaliation with conventional weapons, the new, bold, some say foolish, policy, was immediately put to the test.
China Google hackers' goal: Spying on U.S. Govt.
It's the second time Google has blamed a major computer hacking scheme on China, reports CBS News correspondent Wyatt Andrews.
This time Google says unknown hackers from Jinan, China, a city with a military command center, stole the personal Gmail passwords of hundreds of senior U.S .government officials.
Google said the hackers' "goal" was to eavesdrop on the officials — "to monitor the content of the users' emails."
That suggestion — of spying — rang alarm bells in the Administration.
"These allegations are very serious," said Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. "We take them seriously. We're looking into them."
Clinton: Google's China Hacking Claims 'Very Serious'
Hillary Clinton says FBI will probe Gmail hacker attack
US Investigating Google Claim of China Hacking
FBI Investigating Google Claim that China Hacked Them
Google breach gives way to diplomatic, high-tech tensions
China Denies Accessing High Profile Gmail Accounts
Google's groundless accuses hurt global trust on Internet
The Google-China Saga Continues
Admin: Gmail phishers stalked victims for months
Gmail Hack Targeted White House
Cyber war: Google, China in fresh spat over email hacking
Google, what exactly is the China connection for the phishing scare?
Is Google an agent of the US Government? It certainly gives that impression
So far, the U.S. has uncovered a successful espionage phishing expedition, against top level U.S. Government officials, tracked back to a specific Chinese city. Why aren't we bombing China, isn't this a perfect situation to show how our new military policy will treat hacking intrusions like this as acts of war? Unfortunately for us, China denies the attack and, as I pointed out yesterday, it's extremely difficult to be absolutely sure as to the origins of cyberattacks like this, so we do nothing and our brand new policy looks foolish and radiates national weakness.
/instead of making toothless threats to send missile strikes in response to hack attacks, why don't we just send the Chinese back a nice Stuxnet worm or take down Baidu with a complimentary DoS attack
Filed under: Blog Entry | Tagged: Act Of War, Administration, Alarm Bells, Allegations, Blamed, Bold, CBS, CBS News Correspondent, China, Command Center, Computer, Computer Hacking, Computer Hacking Scheme, Content, Conventional Weapons, Correspondent, Cyberattacks, Damaging, DoS Attack, Eavesdrop, Emails, Foolish, Gmail, Goal, Google, Government, Government Officials, Hackers, Hacking, Hacking Scheme, Hillary Clinton, Hundreds, Jinan, Major, Major Computer Hacking Scheme, Military, Military Command Center, Monitor, Nations, News, News Correspondent, Obama Administration, Officials, Other Nations, Passwords, Personal Gmail Passwords, Phishing, Policy, Retaliation, Scheme, Second Time, Secretary of State, Senior, Senior U.S .Government Officials, Serious, Seriously, Spear-Phishing, Spying, Stole, Stuxnet, Stuxnet Worm, Threatening, Threatening Retaliation, U.S .Government Officials, U.S. Government, U.S. Secretary Of State, United States, Unknown, Unknown Hackers, Users, Very Serious, Weapons, Worm, Wyatt Andrews |	Leave a comment »