Hackers Launch Major Attack on US Military Labs
December 8, 2007
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Pretty scary story and I’m amazed it’s not getting more attention. Two of this country’s major military and nuclear weapons labs have been breached by hackers. Authorities say that the attackers may be located in China but there is no direct evidence.
Although only 2 locations have been named, Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico, others including Lawrence Livermore Labs, say the have blocked recent attempts.
The possibility that the latest attacks were the work of fraudsters will be seen by some as optimistic less positive would be the possibility of a rival government having been involved. Given the apparently coordinated nature of events, speculation will inevitably point to this scenario, with the data theft a cover motivation for more serious incursions.
Hackers have succeeded in breaking into the computer systems of two of the U.S.’ most important science labs, the Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL) in Tennessee and Los Alamos National Laboratory in New Mexico.
In what a spokesperson for the Oak Ridge facility described as a “sophisticated cyber attack,” it appears that intruders accessed a database of visitors to the Tennessee lab between 1990 and 2004, which included their social security numbers and dates of birth. Three thousand researchers reportedly visit the lab each year, a who’s who of the science establishment in the U.S.
The attack was described as being conducted through several waves of phishing emails with malicious attachments, starting on Oct. 29. Although not stated, these would presumably have launched Trojans if opened, designed to bypass security systems from within, which raises the likelihood that the attacks were targeted specifically at the lab.
ORNL director, Thom Mason, described the attacks in an email to staff earlier this week as being a “coordinated attempt to gain access to computer networks at numerous laboratories and other institutions across the country.”
“Because of the sensitive nature of this event, the laboratory will be unable for some period to discuss further details until we better understand the full nature of this attack,” he added.
Additional details at Dark Reading
- Los Alamos Lab Breach Could Be Devastating
- Car Crashes at Nuclear Weapons Plant
- New Plan To Defend U.S. Power Grid From Cyber Terror Attack
- CIA Says Hackers Have Accessed Power Grid Computers Cut Power To Several Cities
- Video Shows Simulated Hacker Attack of Power Grid
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