Posted on 07/15/2011 5:28:21 PM PDT by Kaslin
Security: The Pentagon has disclosed perhaps the largest theft of sensitive data by an unnamed foreign government. The threat to our electronic infrastructure is real, growing and as dangerous as a North Korean missile.
In outlining America's cyberwarfare strategy last Thursday at the National Defense University, Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn disclosed that 24,000 sensitive files containing Pentagon data at a defense company were accessed in a cyberattack in March, likely by a foreign government.
He didn't disclose the identity of that government, but in a bit of an understatement he acknowledged, "We have a pretty good idea." So do we: the People's Republic of China. In addition to conventional and nuclear weaponry, China has invested a great deal of time and treasure in what is known as "asymmetrical warfare" — the ability to exploit an enemy's weakness rather than just try to match it tank for tank.
American military strategy is dependent on high-tech communications and surveillance. Our economy runs on high tech, and it is that very dependence that makes it vulnerable. The Chinese have long been probing our cyberdefense like the burglar searching for that one unlocked door.
At his Senate confirmation hearing last month to become defense secretary, Leon Panetta cited "a strong likelihood that the next Pearl Harbor" could well be a cyberattack that cripples the U.S. power grid and financial and government systems. That attack could come from a foreign government or computer-savvy terrorists.
(Excerpt) Read more at investors.com ...
When the Red Chinese get that “industrial” complex set up just south of Boise they will have a fine little base of operations. Here.
what?? what??
Cyber-Pearl WHO CARES? OBAMA CUTS PENTAGON BUDGET!!!
A person I trust told me about this the other day. She knew because her friend works with this kind of stuff and has been all over the country lately. He says it is Russia.
Why is DoD or any DoD contractor
using Microsoft on the Internet ?
If you count Chinese espionage the attack has already happened.
This is not news to anyone in the computer security, only to those who hold the purse strings who think their IT security folks are just paranoid ninnies.
It baffles me, frankly. The security config guide for Windows XP is about 150 pages long - why would anyone want to put up with that just to be able to crank out crappy classified Powerpoint presentations?
National security ping
Oh, that attack has already been successfully accomplished !
Aside from what’s been revealed by the Pentagon, there’s multiple issues of bogus/inferior aircraft hardware issuing from China. Everything from rivets to bolts to
computer chips complete with a “back door” enabling those with the key to disable them at will.
Now ask your congresscritter and local “watermelon” “why” we don’t have secure domestic sources of these critical parts/materials. >PS
What do you expect when your President is Inspector Clouseau.
De-Res
You got that right. That little project needs to be stopped cold.
With the way we handle the crap coming over the southern border, this little exercise in complete stupidity may do us in.
Mass systems = mass vulnerability. This is just one reason why I am against BRAC in an age of terrorism. We need more bases in more locations, not fewer.
And here I thought he was the Pink Panther.
(You learn something every day on FR!)
Thanks for the ping.
A brother/sister combo of younger relatives with a long back ground in computers/programming and foriegn languages have been concerned about this potential for decades.
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