Government Computers Under Attack

Authorities Are Making Plans To Protect Online Systems From Hackers, Spies And Terrorists

(CBS)  Computer systems, vital to national defense, are under a growing assault from Internet hackers, cyber terrorists and foreign spies looking to steal secrets and disrupt government operations.

"All around the country, there are literally thousands of attacks every day," Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told CBS News correspondent Bob Orr.

Secretary Chertoff knows this firsthand; DHS computer networks have already been compromised. So have computers at the Departments of State and Commerce.

Hackers have even breached systems at the Pentagon, infiltrating the email of Defense Secretary Robert Gates. U.S. officials have traced many of the attacks to hackers inside the Chinese government.

James Mulvenon works for the Center for Intelligence Research and Analysis. Mulvenon, an expert in computer tactics, showed CBS News a Chinese military manual that says Internet attacks are part of a strategy to probe for weaknesses that could be exploited in future conflicts.

"The Chinese military in particular perceives that a computer network attack offers it a unique capability that they could use against foes like the United States," Mulvenon told Orr.

In response, the U.S. is implementing a classified plan aimed at detecting and preventing Internet attacks.

CBS News has learned the president wants six billion dollars just to get started.

"We're really looking to see whether we can have a game changer," Secretary Chertoff said, "really move the level of protection to a much more robust basis."

So far foreign hackers have not crashed any critical systems, but it's unclear how much information has been stolen - compromised secrets that could be used against us.

[kgcoleman1]

Over 120 countries are currently developing cyber weapons. In 1998 North Korea created Unit 121 their cyber attack unit and China has over 30,000 volunteer cyber soldiers plus their full time military units. We need to accelerate the development of offensive and defensive cyber capabilities. Every computer is a potential weapon that can be turned against the United States. Yes even the ones within our country. As the former Chief Strategist of Netscape, I want to express my deep concern the private sector is not doing enough to protect our critical information infrastructure and financial networks. We must take this threat seriously!

[zunipus]

Please forgive me for being obvious, but apparently this is not clear to our government: A great first and fundamental step in dropping computer vulnerability by orders of magnitude in the USA is to stop using Microsoft Windows. No, there is no perfect operating system. But there is such a thing as a terrible operating system.

[zunipus]

Being obvious again, but it''s hard to comprehend, is the fact that loony toon sons of oil merchants here and abroad are not our biggest enemy right now. It''s the country making so many of the goods the USA is now incapable of manufacturing themselves: China. They own over 40% of US debt. If you''ve ever been desperate for money and had to deal with your mortgage banker.... You get the idea. China has also quite clearly declared technological war on the USA as well. Months ago it was reported that a secret Chinese government memo to that effect had been uncovered. The infection of key Windows computers throughout the government with data retrieving bots, sending their data directly to China, has been known for well over a year. Now we know that the data isn''t going to random hacker kids over there. It goes to a dedicated hacker army for the government.

So the USA continues to give China ''Most Favored Nation'' status because why?

[zunipus]

BTW: For Windows Vista apologists: Look up the ''Blue Pill'' rootkit studies. It''s undetectable. It''s unremovable. It compromises everything on your computer.

[chipper777]

Wasn''t it Bill Clinton which gave computers to china before leaving his office? I wonder what those computers had on them in memory? I wonder if hillery get presidential job if she will help out chinese too? But then at this time in history where governments thrive within governments, who knows what people know anywhere in world and who the heck is running most countries really? The governments or possibly people hired by the clan of rich people? And what about the organization of the world banking systems and hackers there? are governments or the very elete rich controlling those banks and all monies and information too? Just a few off shoot ideas I was wondering about, while someone in the world does their hacking practices. how safe are we really as a nation now?

[mistered9]

Paulyn44, you must not buy products made in China?
You need to engage your brain before commenting about the best President this Country has ever had.

[stanleyrice]

Here come da boogie man again! And I see by some comments you are like trained dogs. Instead of woof, woof, woof, you go fear, fear, fear! Why would well established routine incidents such as those mentioned in the story, constitute a headline from the Homeland Security Dept. and a major news organization? In fact the article admits no major crashes or any specific losses. The set up begins; all you have to do America is sit back as usual, go into the "we must protect ourselves" mode, and watch Internet freedom and free speech go down the drain. In case you haven''t looked, it is part of :
REBUILDING
AMERICA%u2019S
DEFENSES

Strategy, Forces and Resources
For a New Century

DONALD KAGAN GARY SCHMITT
Project Co-Chairmen

THOMAS DONNELLY
Principal Author

http://cryptome.org/rad.htm#INTRODUCTION
Have a nice day!

[jjjscbsnews]

This ties in very nicely with the news that as of last week, Harrah''s, the world''s largest gaming company is now controlled by an arm of the Chinese military (Apollo Global Management). Plenty of easy access to money and technology at Harrah''s! The American People had better wake up to the fact that the Chinese are NOT our friends and they fully intend to walk in and take over this country without firing a shot. They have spent the past few decades buying up American real estate, companies, banks and, recently, mortgages, while pumping this nation full of shoddy merchandise. They have basically cut us off at both ends - they''ve stolen our jobs, technology and manufacturing base, then sell us cheap, poorly-designed and manufactured garbage, which we happily lap up at bargain prices because all our goo-paying jobs are gone...a vicious circle! The thing is, most of our politicans and so-called business "leaders" are part of the plan, having been bought off years ago. People like the Clintons and Bush family, Jeff Immelt of GE, Rumsfeld, Cheney, Kennedy, etc. sold out generations ago. The only way America can save itself at this time is for the People to stage the third American revolution, in which we rise up and defend ourselves against our oppressors.

[marcpcbs]

These attacks are probably being done by moralistically unencumbered American Techno-****** that are being very well paid by foreign terrorists.

[michellem99-2009]

I use Windows Home XP and vista no way.. Every thing is made in China..I can''t find made in USA any more..We have forgotten how to make in the USA. Sure China will burn us and our leaders allowed it to happen.

[mattcbsmatt]

They must do whatever it takes to appease the Hineses, the Great Asians anal eye, love, adoration and appeasement of the Chinese Hineses. The Great and sneaky Asians anal eye must be obeyed
They must prove and be proud and explain their enjoyment.
They must prove these things, for this is the way

[mattcbsmatt]

You must prove and be proud to prove and explain your righteous enjoyment of the Chinese Hineses the asians anal eye

[donevis-2009]

Lets hope this isn''t a government ploy to lock down the free speech internet. All they have to do is say its a national security issue and "poof" no more internet as we know it. Lets face it, it was lies that suckered us into the Iraq situation so why not this? Besides China needs us to remain healthy so we can repay our debt to them. If all our sources of information are controlled by the government, how will be the people be able to know if we''re being told the truth? By listen to admitted liars? Does this have anything to do with those 3 communication cable that were cut this week? Who''s behind that? Stay tuned folks.

[hypnotoad72]

I use Windows Home XP and vista no way.. Every thing is made in China..I can''''t find made in USA any more..We have forgotten how to make in the USA. Sure China will burn us and our leaders allowed it to happen.

Posted by MichelleM99
------------------------------
Other countries can afford to make it less. That''s how they built their power base.

[hypnotoad72]

I use Windows Home XP and vista no way.. Every thing is made in China..I can''''t find made in USA any more..We have forgotten how to make in the USA. Sure China will burn us and our leaders allowed it to happen.

Posted by MichelleM99
--------------------------

One other thing - Vista is made in India, by engineers far more intelligent than our own, it seems -- it''s only sold in China (at far lower prices).

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/2007/07/23/100134488/index.htm

[p-syrus]

Ah! The Joy of Linux!

So many problems which simply don''t exist! :-)

[glaswolf]

derekcurrie at 10:27 PM : Feb 01, 2008: I ran across an ex military intel computer programmer who was part of a distributed network of hackers who believed as a matter of philosophy that all information should be public, well at least to them. Just as malignant software can mask source location it can also force false sources to be detected. Rogue programmers come from anywhere and many really have no side of loyalty, they are lost in a sense of higher moral authority which is potentially dangerous to the world''s stability, a form of techno evangelicalism. But then, entropy was never known for its predictability. Keep chipper, as we are at war ... unfortunately we don''t quite know with whom.

[brianbwb-2009]

Take the "blue pill", and see how far the rabbit hole goes.

The real L337 know what I mean, bring them all down.

[kennedy7955]

The answer to internet hacking of government information is obvious - take the government off the internet! A little common sense would go a long way but then we are talking about the US government.

[bm6005]

Other countries can afford to make it less. That''''s how they built their power base.
Posted by hypnotoad72

You show off your complete ignorance of mfg. We haven''t forgotten, we haven''t priced ourselves out of the market, we''ve allowed the paperpushers to convince mgmt that mfg is "too hard". There are millions of Americans who can still make the best products in the world, we''ve just ignored what they know, what they do, etc in favor of the service industry BS lie! Typically I find those who spout off about american mfg never spent a frickin'' day of their life working in mfg or they are usin g comparisons from decades ago. Wake up MORONS!!! So hynotoad tell me about your mfg experience, I''ve got 44+ years of it! I''ve experienced first hand the idiot MBA''s and their moronic attitudes. BTW I''m a graduate mfg engineer.

[element51]

jjjscbsnews....Your post is very good. I have said for years that China was a sleeping giant and the time would come when it would be to late to deal with them. The concept of MAD, mutually assured destruction, has been recognized for years and the Chinese are smart enough to know that no one will win in a nuclear exchange. The best way to defeat the U.S. is from within. This mechanism has been in place for sometime now and is working to perfection. As your post points out it is a vicious circle. They have purchased our politicians and our manufacturing base. Also banks, real estate and mortgages. They have been able to obtain our technology at bargin prices. These are smart people who were highly civilized when the Indians still owned North America. It is only a matter of time until they will call in all their chips. When that happens it will be the end of life as we know it.

[element51]

bm6005...I totally agree with you. We in this country have the ability to get any job done but it is very hard when your hands are tied behind your back. It is the bean counters who have brought this on and it is powered by greed. How can we compete when we are competing with slave labor? We can''t.