MICROSOFT WORKING WITH THE FEDS, VIRUS ATTACKS MAY BE TERRORISM

World Tribune.com ^ | August 21, 2003 | special report staff

[prarie earth]

Evidence gathered by Microsoft, the FBI, and the Secret Service on the worldwide attacks made against the computers running the Windows operating system fits the profile of 'terrorist activity.'

Industry sources citing Mirosoft officials told World Tribune.com that the recent attacks from the 'Blaster' worm and its variants, coupled with an email virus called 'SoBig-F' show signs of a coordinated attack by an entity wanting to disrupt world commerce.

Microsoft is cooperating with both the FBI and the Secret Service and will report their findings in the next few days.

While at present no terrorist organizations have claimed responsibility for these attacks in cyberspace, Microsoft is an obvious target for terrorists as the largest, most recognizable, and most profitable software company in the world.

The Blaster worm exposes a flaw in the Remote Procedure Call (RPC) component used by Microsoft Windows, the operating system installed on an estimated 90 percent of all home and desktop computers worldwide.

[prarie earth]

How do they know these guys aren't garden variety hackers?

[goldstategop]

Like a teen kid trying to outsmart Bill Gates? I suspect its more likely than a bunch of Al Qaeda terrorists smuggling operational directives across the Internet concealed in porno pictures.

[prarie earth]

Dont we have the cryptologists working in Arabic to catch that stuff now?

[bonesmccoy]

on the other hand, the last guy in the oval office spent more money prosecuting Bill Gates than Osama Bin Ladin.

[HAL9000]

I suspect its more likely than a bunch of Al Qaeda terrorists smuggling operational directives across the Internet concealed in porno pictures.

I think the spammer theory is more plausible. They are turning millions of Windows computers into spam-spewing open relays.

[HiTech RedNeck]

This is more like 'annoyism'.

[prarie earth]

My system got hit yesterday, big time.

[The Duke]

fits the profile of 'terrorist activity.'

So...there's evidence of a program of violence being undertaken to promote political change?

Why do I think this is all about government redefining another word as a means of ultimately gaining increased control over my life(?)

[prarie earth]

But if it damages commerce on a massive scale?

[expatguy]

Dont we have the cryptologists working in Arabic to catch that stuff now?

No.

The United States government prefers to use and employ foreigners who have no loyalty to the United States when it comes to issues of National Security.

Unfortunately many of these people's loyalty lies elsewhere.

Sad but true.

[Wacka]

Easy fix. Buy Macs. Helps the economy too!

[prarie earth]

Good idea. Bill Gates dad uses Netscape for his browser..

[Cindy]

NIPC.gov: WARNINGS - ADVISORIES

[piasa]

Terrorism :

The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons.

[prarie earth]

Thanks for that.

[JerseyHighlander]

The World Tribune's creditability is teetering into the Debka abyss. They know not of what they speak. The worm is Microsoft made, do not forget. It was only discovered in the Microsoft code recently, by a group of Chinese hackers. They publicly announced the discovery of the sloppy code, and gave microsft weeks to fix it. (IMHO, I believe there was blackmail attempted before they went public.)

But, the characteristics of the worm are much similar to tactics used by Russian porn hustlers/hackers. So to pin this on an Arab/Islamic front without evidence is pure speculation. For those who said Red China was using the Taliban and other Islamic groups as a foil, this could be seen as a continuation of a destabilization campaign. It's more likely a group of computer geeks who have found what Microsoft Programmers wrote into the code, and exploited it for mad props. Billy Gates is pwned, etc.

[nmh]

"Evidence gathered by Microsoft, the FBI, and the Secret Service on the worldwide attacks made against the computers running the Windows operating system fits the profile of 'terrorist activity."

Aw, gimme a break! Leave it to Microsoft, the shi*iest software vendor around to muddy the water with terrorism. The truth is Microsoft has retarded programmers that spew out lousy code. There is NO terrorist attack going on. Of course Microsoft wants to blame someone else. It's becoming painfully obvious that Microsft puts out shi* for products so they must desperately point to someone else.

You can ONLY hope that when Microsoft ships their development work off shore that THOSE programmers aren't as stupid as those at Microsoft.

[nmh]

Microsoft has been terrorizing its customers for YEARS with shi* products. Yeah, you could say that Microsoft is a "terrorist" via software.

[nmh]

Microsoft doesn't have a SECURE operating sytem, hence vulnerable to ANY attacks. That's all that's going on here. Terrorism, my arse. The FBI and the others know LESS about Microsoft than Microsoft. So we have the three studges pointing fingers at a phantom terrorist.

[FairOpinion]

Finally they are actually starting to acknowledge this!!!

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A50765-2002Jun26


Cyber-Attacks by Al Qaeda Feared
Terrorists at Threshold of Using Internet as Tool of Bloodshed, Experts Say

From the Middle East and South Asia, unknown browsers were exploring the digital systems used to manage Bay Area utilities and government offices. Hsiung, a specialist in high-technology crime, alerted the FBI's San Francisco computer intrusion squad.

Some of the probes suggested planning for a conventional attack, U.S. officials said. But others homed in on a class of digital devices that allow remote control of services such as fire dispatch and of equipment such as pipelines. More information about those devices -- and how to program them -- turned up on al Qaeda computers seized this year, according to law enforcement and national security officials.

One al Qaeda laptop found in Afghanistan, sources said, had made multiple visits to a French site run by the Societé Anonyme, or Anonymous Society. The site offers a two-volume online "Sabotage Handbook" with sections on tools of the trade, planning a hit, switch gear and instrumentation, anti-surveillance methods and advanced techniques. In Islamic chat rooms, other computers linked to al Qaeda had access to "cracking" tools used to search out networked computers, scan for security flaws and exploit them to gain entry -- or full command.

Most significantly, perhaps, U.S. investigators have found evidence in the logs that mark a browser's path through the Internet that al Qaeda operators spent time on sites that offer software and programming instructions for the digital switches that run power, water, transport and communications grids. In some interrogations, the most recent of which was reported to policymakers last week, al Qaeda prisoners have described intentions, in general terms, to use those tools.

Specialized digital devices are used by the millions as the brains of American "critical infrastructure" -- a term defined by federal directive to mean industrial sectors that are "essential to the minimum operations of the economy and government."

The devices are called distributed control systems, or DCS, and supervisory control and data acquisition, or SCADA, systems. The simplest ones collect measurements, throw railway switches, close circuit-breakers or adjust valves in the pipes that carry water, oil and gas. More complicated versions sift incoming data, govern multiple devices and cover a broader area.

[FairOpinion]

ping

[BlackbirdSST]

Microsoft doesn't have a SECURE operating sytem

Not running to defend uncle Bill, but no one produces secure software. Take MS off the planet tomorrow, someone else will be the target. You wouldn't be trying to say UNIX or MAC's are unhackable, would you? Blackbird.

[FairOpinion]

ping

[AnimalLover]

LOOK WHAT I FOUND!

The following article is from the Los Angeles Times

www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la042502china.story

CIA WARNS OF CHINESE PLANS FOR CYBER-ATTACKS ON U.S.

April 25, 2002

The LA Times reports: "U.S. intelligence officials believe the Chinese military is working to launch wide-scale cyber-attacks on American and Taiwanese computer networks, including Internet-linked military systems considered vulnerable to sabotage, according to a classified CIA report.

U.S. authorities are bracing for a possible wave of hacking attacks by Chinese students against the United States in coming weeks. The confidential alert was sent to intelligence officials a week ago.

Although U.S. officials have voiced concerns about individual hackers in China who have defaced federal and private Web sites, the United States has resisted publicly linking the Chinese government to those attacks or to broader cyber-style warfare.

The new CIA report makes clear that U.S. intelligence analysts have become increasingly concerned that authorities in Beijing are actively planning to damage and disrupt U.S. computer systems through the use of Internet hacking and computer viruses.

Although the assessment concludes that China has not yet acquired the technical sophistication to do broad damage to U.S. and Taiwanese systems, it maintains that this is the 'intended goal' of the People's Liberation Army in China. 'The mission of Chinese special forces includes physical sabotage' of vulnerable systems, the report says--a sign that some analysts said is driven by China's hostility toward Taiwan..."

[prarie earth]

But the Chinese are our trading partners! (sarcasm off)

[JustPiper]

Bump!!!

[JustPiper]

Ping!

[prarie earth]

Could the Chinese hackers sold it to the highest bidder or coupld someone have figured it out by themselves based on their clues?

[JustPiper]

Advisories - 2003

New Version of the MS-RPC DCOM Worm...August 18, 2003

Potential Internet Attack Targeting Microsoft Beginning August 16, 2003


Potential For Significant Impact On Internet Operations Due To Vulnerability
In Microsoft Operating Systems (2nd UPDATE: Worm Spreading on the Internet), August 12, 2003


W32/Mimail Virus. August 2, 2003

Potential For Significant Impact On Internet Operations
Due To Vulnerability In Microsoft Operating Systems, July 30, 2003


Potential For Significant Impact On Internet Operations Due To Vulnerability In Microsoft Operating Systems, July 24, 2003

That's an awful lot of warning for over a month!!!

[JustPiper]

Funny how this cyber-terror has coincided with the blackout!

[JustPiper]

The link led to an article from Thursday, June 27, 2002; Page A01 ?

[RISU]

WHO ASKED MICROSOFT TO PUT IN A DOOR FOR "REMOTE PROCEDURE CALL"?

Friends, MS has laced your computer with ways and means to control your behavior via the control of your computer.

Why is this?

Because those who are responsible for protecting our rights are still trying to figure out how email works!

Microsoft is proving to be a menace, and seems not to respect privacy or rights. The rsult of its flawed approach to control remotely means you andI suffer from stoppages and problems all the time. I for one would join a class action suit against MS for the shear amount of my life wasted rebooting and re-installing over the years.

The solution is "competition". Notice how many "operating system" companies are competing for your business? Hardly any, and LINUX, a great white hope, is being piower played into a corner by MS and its money.

How did they gety all that money? By selling you and I the same thing over, and over, and over again.

There is probably a "deal with the devil" at work here as well, with elements of the Government benefiting from the vulnerability of your conmputer, and therefore giving MS a green light to walk on your rights. MS has an office at NSA I hear.

Horrible situation for those of us who respect privacy rights.

[JustPiper]

Then China informs Russia and North Korea , then they are the Axis of Super Power and we'll be saying can you hear me now?!

[George W. Bush]

Windows: the terrorist operating system

And their profits are used to promote gun-control and to promote abortion worldwide.

Jump to Linux before it's too late. Stop giving money to Gates.

[prarie earth]

Gates is a major supporter of Planned Parenthood, I believe.

[George W. Bush]

Gates is a major supporter of Planned Parenthood, I believe.

And his foundation is supporting abortion by trying to establish Planned Parenthood type operations around the world. For instance, when he and his wife went to India a while back, it was to be honored for introducting child murder. A cute event, he was greeted at the airport by some twit in a condom outfit. So cute, so funny, so easy to hide the reality of child murder in such an event.

Microsoft = funding abortion on a global scale.

Microsoft = funding anti-gun groups domestically.

It's a little strange to hear so many at FR rail against gun control and abortion while using their Windows OS and refusing even to consider the alternatives (Linux & Apple) to helping Gates fund abortion and gun control.

[LaraCroft]

How do you know you got it?

[freeperfromnj]

Funny how this cyber-terror has coincided with the blackout!

It is indeed. I missed this article, thanks for the ping.

[TomServo]

Already posted here.

[OrioleFan]

Biggest virus developers run into is when the Microsoft OS reserves half of memory regardless of how much memory your PC has, then allows COTS packages to load DLLs wherever in what's left. You can't get enough contiguous memory to make your software efficient. Windows IS the virus.

[Cindy]

Yes, those are a lot of warnings -- that we know about.

[bicycle thug]

www.microsoft.com runs Linux? Up to a point ...

[nmh]

Microsoft leads the pack in the most unsecure software out there as well as the buggiest. It's pure crap sold on hype.

[JustPiper]

Interesting

[JustPiper]

those are a lot of warnings -- that we know about.

And that is what always bothers me the most, are the hidden lies.

[JustPiper]

Your welcome you seemed interested and intelligent on these issues ;)

[freeperfromnj]

You may find this of interest.

http://esisac.com/publicdocs/SQL_Slammer_2003.pdf