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Has anyone heard of communications interruptions in mid east today?

Posted on 08/24/2012 12:54:05 PM PDT by GOP_Thug_Mom

My husband just called to ask me what was going on in Saudi Arabia. I started giving him recent history (he hates politics, but doesn't want to look stupid at work ;-). He stopped me and said one of his associates told him he could not get in touch with a business associate working in Saudi Arabia because someone had supposedly hacked into communications over there. But I can find nothing on the net. Has anyone heard anything? Seems like this would be news if it were true.


TOPICS:
KEYWORDS: aramco; disttrack; largestcompany; saudiarabia; shamoon

1 posted on 08/24/2012 12:54:09 PM PDT by GOP_Thug_Mom
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To: GOP_Thug_Mom

I’m guessing the Pakistani that knows how to run the networks called in sick.


2 posted on 08/24/2012 12:56:39 PM PDT by Ax
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To: Ax

Just what I thought. :-P


3 posted on 08/24/2012 12:58:09 PM PDT by GOP_Thug_Mom (Iibera nos a malo (Obama, aka: malum vir per puteulanus labiae))
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To: GOP_Thug_Mom

BTTT


4 posted on 08/24/2012 1:01:19 PM PDT by ConservativeMan55
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To: Ax

Hell, it’s Friday — things have come to a grinding halt like it does on every Friday.


5 posted on 08/24/2012 1:03:56 PM PDT by 353FMG (The US Constitution is only as good as those who enforce it.)
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To: GOP_Thug_Mom

Maybe this?

Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Struggles To Recover From Hack Attack
Hacktivists claim a hit on Saudi Aramco
.On August 24, 2012 by Tom Brewster 0
The largest company in the world is blocking outside access to its communication systems as it continues to struggle to get systems back online following a suspected cyber attack earlier this month.

On 15 August, Saudi Aramco said it had isolated all its electronic systems from outside access “as an early precautionary measure that was taken following a sudden disruption that affected some of the sectors of its electronic network”.

“The disruption was suspected to be the result of a virus that had infected personal workstations without affecting the primary components of the network,” Saudi Aramco said over Facebook.

It claimed the interruption had no impact on any of its oil production operations, saying IT experts anticipated “resuming normal operations of its network soon”.

Yet today systems remain isolated. TechWeekEurope attempted to telephone the company, only to be greeted by a recorded message reiterating what the company said nine days ago.

A hacktivist attack?
Supposed hacktivists have claimed the hit on the oil giant, saying they would hit the company again tomorrow (25 August). The group said it was “fed up of crimes and atrocities taking place in various countries around the world”, in a post on Pastebin. They said they were targeting the House of Saud, the ruling royal family of Saudi Arabia, and targeted Aramco as it was “the largest financial source for Al-Saud regime”.

The group, calling itself the ‘Cutting Sword of Justice’, claimed to have hacked Aramco systems in several countries before sending a virus across 30,000 computers – achieving a 75 percent infection rate of all the company’s systems. It refuted suggestions that a nation state was behind the attack.

The attack hit just before warnings of a new piece of malware called Shamoon or Disttrack, which was designed to infect a system’s Master Boot Record (MBR), making it un-bootable.

It was believed at least one organisation in the energy sector was hit by Shamoon, leading some to suggest Aramco could have been the victim. However, there has been no validation of that claim.

http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/saudi-aramco-cyber-attack-oil-90428


6 posted on 08/24/2012 1:48:56 PM PDT by BenLurkin (This is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion or satire; or both)
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To: Ax

Tried repeatedly to communicate with Argentina by phone today land & cell to no avail.


7 posted on 08/24/2012 2:16:10 PM PDT by GWB00 (Barbara Streisand barely made it out of high school.)
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To: BenLurkin; ShadowAce; SunkenCiv; Marine_Uncle; NormsRevenge

That is big news.....


8 posted on 08/24/2012 2:44:18 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach

I’m sure we shall see more on this as things unfold.


9 posted on 08/24/2012 2:48:00 PM PDT by Marine_Uncle (Honor must be earned.)
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To: BenLurkin

THANK YOU! Had to leave and hubby just called. Hadn’t seen this, so I’ll let him know!


10 posted on 08/24/2012 3:02:27 PM PDT by GOP_Thug_Mom (Iibera nos a malo (Obama, aka: malum vir per puteulanus labiae))
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To: BenLurkin

THANK YOU! Had to leave and hubby just called. Hadn’t seen this, so I’ll let him know!


11 posted on 08/24/2012 3:02:27 PM PDT by GOP_Thug_Mom (Iibera nos a malo (Obama, aka: malum vir per puteulanus labiae))
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To: BenLurkin
Thanks for that link....started a thread....nasty malware:

Oil Giant Saudi Aramco Struggles To Recover From Hack Attack ( Nasty Virus messes with MBR )

12 posted on 08/24/2012 3:15:43 PM PDT by Ernest_at_the_Beach ((The Global Warming Hoax was a Criminal Act....where is Al Gore?))
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To: Ernest_at_the_Beach; AdmSmith; AnonymousConservative; Berosus; bigheadfred; Bockscar; ColdOne; ...

Thanks GOP_Thug_Mom. Sounds like a test run.


13 posted on 08/24/2012 4:35:15 PM PDT by SunkenCiv (https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
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To: GWB00

Any Person of Consequence was taking a long lunch break at any of those world-class restaurants along the Costanera


14 posted on 08/24/2012 5:21:28 PM PDT by Ax
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