http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-cyberattack28-2008nov28,0,6441140.story



By Julian E. Barnes

Los Angeles Times

November 28, 2008



Reporting from Washington -- Senior military leaders took the 

exceptional step of briefing President Bush this week on a severe and 

widespread electronic attack on Defense Department computers that may 

have originated in Russia -- an incursion that posed unusual concern 

among commanders and raised potential implications for national 

security.



Defense officials would not describe the extent of damage inflicted on 

military networks. But they said that the attack struck hard at networks 

within U.S. Central Command, the headquarters that oversees U.S. 

involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan, and affected computers in combat 

zones. The attack also penetrated at least one highly protected 

classified network.



Military computers are regularly beset by outside hackers, computer 

viruses and worms. But defense officials said the most recent attack 

involved an intrusive piece of malicious software, or "malware," 

apparently designed specifically to target military networks.



"This one was significant; this one got our attention," said one defense 

official, speaking on condition of anonymity when discussing internal 

assessments.



Although officials are withholding many details, the attack underscores 

the increasing danger and potential significance of computer warfare, 

which defense experts say could one day be used by combatants to 

undermine even a militarily superior adversary.



Bush was briefed on the threat by Navy Adm. Michael G. Mullen, chairman 

of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. Mullen also briefed Defense Secretary 

Robert M. Gates.



Military electronics experts have not pinpointed the source or motive of 

the attack and could not say whether the destructive program was created 

by an individual hacker or whether the Russian government may have had 

some involvement. Defense experts may never be able to answer such 

questions, officials said.





[...]





_______________________________________________      

Help InfoSecNews.org with a donation!

http://www.infosecnews.org/donate.html



Received on Mon Dec 01 2008 - 01:11:11 PST