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Regime deploys shadowy army of cyber-warriors

Jul 24

Times EnemyGeneral, news, security information warfare, insecure news, Iran, news No Comments

Cyber Wars in Iran
Regime deploys shadowy army of cyber-warriors to take on dissidents on the web.
By Khashayar Nouri – Iran
IRN Issue 45,
23 Jul 10

The internet is often seen as the domain of dissidents and free spirits. But the Iranian regime like many others has long recognised the importance of winning the virtual propaganda war, and the talk for the last couple of years has been of an “Iranian Cyber Army”, a band of dedicated regime loyalists who attack opposition websites and other virtual targets.

Fictitious femme fatale fooled cybersecurity

Jul 19

Times EnemyGeneral, news, security CIA, imposters, information warfare, insecure news, Israel, news, Pentagon, red teams, spying, US DoD No Comments

Fictitious femme fatale fooled cybersecurity
Intel, defense specialists fell for ruse in test

By Shaun Waterman
8:07 p.m., Sunday, July 18, 2010

Call her the Mata Hari of cyberspace.

Robin Sage, according to her profiles on Facebook and other social-networking websites, was an attractive, flirtatious 25-year-old woman working as a “cyber threat analyst” at the U.S. Navy’s Network Warfare Command. Within less than a month, she amassed nearly 300 social-network connections among security specialists, military personnel and staff at intelligence agencies and defense contractors.

Chinese hackers target India’s data on Naxals

May 21

Times EnemyChina, General, news, security China, India, information warfare, insecure news, news No Comments

http://indiatoday.intoday.in/site/Story/98208/World/Chinese+hackers+target+India’s+data+on+Naxals.html

Chinese hackers target India’s data on Naxals
Shuja-ul Haq
New Delhi, May 21, 2010

A joint investigation report by University of Toronto and Indian government has exposed China’s brazen hacking of New Delhi’s military secrets. Headlines Today has secured documents showing how the hackers stole secret information regarding security assessment on Maoists.

The documents were the outcome of a joint probe by cyber investigators from the University of Toronto and the Indian government. The report details how Chinese hackers accessed secret information from the computer of a member of the National Security Council secretariat.

Dismantling of Saudi-CIA Web site illustrates need for clearer cyberwar policies

Mar 19

Times EnemyGeneral, news, security CIA, cyber warfare, information warfare, insecure news, news, Pentagon, US DoD No Comments

Dismantling of Saudi-CIA Web site illustrates need for clearer cyberwar policies
By Ellen Nakashima – Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, March 19, 2010

By early 2008, top U.S. military officials had become convinced that extremists planning attacks on American forces in Iraq were making use of a Web site set up by the Saudi government and the CIA to uncover terrorist plots in the kingdom.

“We knew we were going to be forced to shut this thing down,” recalled one former civilian official, describing tense internal discussions in which military commanders argued that the site was putting Americans at risk. “CIA resented that,” the former official said.

Bureaucrat Who Allegedly Hired ‘Jason Bournes’ Speaks

Mar 18

Times EnemyGeneral, news, security Afghanistan, insecure news, news, Pakistan, Pentagon, spying, US Air Force, US DoD No Comments

This guy is an idiot.  Maybe there is some other objective for running his mouth, but most likely not.  Either way, this guy is acting the fool.  Mark this guy as a pariah, pull his clearance, and cut all ties.

Bureaucrat Who Allegedly Hired ‘Jason Bournes’ Speaks
By Nathan Hodge Email Author
March 18, 2010; 11:15 am

The Pentagon official who allegedly boasted of running his own private team of “Jason Bournes” is finally speaking out.

RF jammers and other electronic warfare technology to create $28.4 billion market over next decade

Mar 10

Times Enemynews, security insecure news, news, US DoD 2 Comments

RF jammers and other electronic warfare technology to create $28.4 billion market over next decade
Posted by John Keller

NEWTOWN, Conn., 9 March 2010. RF jammers and other electronic warfare (EW) technology will create a $28.4 billion market over the next decade, as purveyors of electronic countermeasures (ECM), radar warning receivers (RWRs), electronic support measures (ESM), and other EW systems produce about 45,000 systems, predict market analysts at Forecast International in Newtown, Conn..

North Korea’s “secret cyber-weapon”: brand new Red Star OS

Mar 10

Times Enemynews, security insecure news, linux, news, North Korea, open source 1 Comment

For screenshots, check out the original site, which is linked to below.

Not only does North Korea have “its own Internet” – a national information network independent from the US-based Internet regulator – it also has an operating system, developed under by order of Kim Jong-il.

Russian student Mikhail, who studies in the Kim Il-sung University and writes a blog has recently purchased the Red Star Operating System (OS) and tested it. Courtesy of Mikhail, RT gives you an opportunity to take glimpse at IT life of world’s most closed country.

Cyberwar declared as China hunts for the West’s intelligence secrets

Mar 08

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, information warfare, insecure news, news No Comments

Cyberwar declared as China hunts for the West’s intelligence secrets
March 8, 2010

Urgent warnings have been circulated throughout NATO and the European Union for secret intelligence material to be protected from a recent surge in cyberwar attacks originating in China.

The attacks have also hit government and military institutions in the United States, where analysts said that the West had no effective response and that EU systems were especially vulnerable because most cyber security efforts were left to member states.

Soldier’s Facebook post about raid gets him jail

Mar 06

Times Enemynews, security insecure news, Israel, news, US DoD No Comments

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Department of Defense is loosening the security in regards to social networks … glorious!

JERUSALEM — Israel’s military has “unfriended” one of its own — after a combat soldier potentially updated Israel’s enemies on Facebook.

The military said Wednesday that a planned raid on a West Bank village was called off after the soldier disclosed its details online. The military said the soldier posted the time and location of the raid on his Facebook page, saying that troops were planning on “cleaning up” the village.

China rhetoric raises threat concerns

Mar 05

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, economics, insecure news, news, politics, Taiwan, Tibet No Comments

China rhetoric raises threat concerns
By Bill Gertz
Friday, March 5, 2010

Recent statements by Chinese military officials are raising concerns among U.S. analysts that the communist government in Beijing is shifting its oft-stated “peaceful rise” policy toward an aggressive, anti-U.S. posture.

The most recent sign appeared with the publication of a government-approved book by Senior Col. Liu Mingfu that urges China to “sprint” toward becoming the world’s most powerful state.

Even if Google Uncensors Its Chinese Search, Microsoft has no Plans to Follow

Mar 05

Times EnemyChina, news China, insecure news, news, search engines, Tibet No Comments

Even if Google Uncensors Its Chinese Search, Microsoft has no Plans to Follow
Talks between Google and the Chinese government quietly continue

Censorship is the name of the game in China’s media market. If you aren’t willing to filter out content the government finds unacceptable, you aren’t allowed to do business with the nation’s over 1 billion people. For most companies, that’s too tempting a target to miss. Blind compliance has been a typical precedent in the past.

Brutal DEA agent murder reminder of agency priority

Mar 05

Times Enemynews, security DEA, insecure news, news 1 Comment

Brutal DEA agent murder reminder of agency priority
Budget still put on back burner
By Jerry Seper
Friday, March 5, 2010

Twenty-five years ago today, the brutally beaten body of U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Agent Enrique S. “Kiki” Camarena was discovered wrapped in plastic bags and dumped along a road near a ranch 60 miles southwest of Guadalajara, Mexico – a death that continues to echo even now throughout the agency.

The veteran agent, along with his pilot, Capt. Alfredo Zavala Avelar, had been viciously tortured by the bosses of a Mexican drug cartel fearful that he had uncovered a multimillion-dollar smuggling operation tied to top officers in the Mexican army, along with Mexican police and government officials.

Tracing attack source key to cybersecurity strategy, Chertoff says

Mar 03

Times Enemynews, security DHS, insecure news, news No Comments

Tracing attack source key to cybersecurity strategy, Chertoff says
Former DHS chief talks of difficulties in creating a national deterrence plan
By Jaikumar Vijayan
March 3, 2010 06:53 PM ET

Computerworld – SAN FRANCISCO — The difficult task of identifying the true sources of cyber attacks remains one of the biggest challenges in the development of a national cybersecurity strategy, former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff told Computerworld in an interview at the RSA Security conference here today.

Chertoff, who is participating in a panel discussion at the conference, said there is a growing need for the U.S to create a strong, formal strategy for responding to cyberattacks against American interests.

Cyber Warriors

Mar 01

Times EnemyChina, security China, insecure news, the atlantic No Comments

When will China emerge as a military threat to the U.S.? In most respects the answer is: not anytime soon—China doesn’t even contemplate a time it might challenge America directly. But one significant threat already exists: cyberwar. Attacks—not just from China but from Russia and elsewhere—on America’s electronic networks cost millions of dollars and could in the extreme cause the collapse of financial life, the halt of most manufacturing systems, and the evaporation of all the data and knowledge stored on the Internet.

Cyber Warriors
by James Fallows

Mike McConnell on how to win the cyber-war we’re losing

Feb 27

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, insecure news, news, politics No Comments

Mike McConnell on how to win the cyber-war we’re losing
By Mike McConnell
Sunday, February 28, 2010

The United States is fighting a cyber-war today, and we are losing. It’s that simple. As the most wired nation on Earth, we offer the most targets of significance, yet our cyber-defenses are woefully lacking.

The problem is not one of resources; even in our current fiscal straits, we can afford to upgrade our defenses. The problem is that we lack a cohesive strategy to meet this challenge.

Pentagon Will Allow Troops Broad Access to Social-Media Sites

Feb 26

Times Enemynews, security insecure news, news, Pentagon, US DoD No Comments

This is a mistake.  The people who truly oversee the gates should have fought harder to not only keep the ban, but to block more sites.  The decision-makers simply do not understand what is going on and are trying to be people-pleasers.  Security should trump this type of access.  If you need the access, request it, go to a less secure network, go to a public network even, but do not drop the security standards across the board!

Pentagon Will Allow Troops Broad Access to Social-Media Sites
February 27, 2010, 12:02 AM EST
By Tony Capaccio

China Attacks on Google May Have Hit 100 Companies, ISEC Says

Feb 26

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, insecure news, news No Comments

China Attacks on Google May Have Hit 100 Companies, ISEC Says
February 26, 2010, 10:04 PM EST
By Brian Womack and Katrina Nicholas

Feb. 27 (Bloomberg) — The Chinese cyber attacks that Google Inc. reported last month may have targeted more than 100 companies, a larger number than previously thought, according to security research firm ISEC Partners Inc.

ISEC said it discovered the additional targets while working with victims of the attack, which originated in China. Google initially alerted 30 companies to the problem, San Francisco-based ISEC said.

China cyber attacks against Google pure fabrication

Feb 26

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, insecure news, news No Comments

I suppose it is only fair to post some opinions from the “other” side as well…

Commentary: China cyber attacks against Google pure fabrication
English.news.cn 2010-02-24 00:23:06

BEIJING, Feb. 23 (Xinhua) — The New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Financial Times and some other newspapers have published articles indicating that cyber attacks targeting Google and several other U.S. companies were from China. Such allegations are arbitrary and biased.

These articles take as evidence that hackers’ IP addresses could be traced back to two schools in China. However, it is common sense that hackers can attack by hijacking computers from anywhere in the world. This fact also explains why hackers are hard to be tracked down.

We Would Lose Cyberwar says former DNI Mike McConnell

Feb 24

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, insecure news, news No Comments

Another China vs USA which does not bode well for my team…

Cyberwar is increasingly entering into the mindset of policy makers. Earlier this month, DNI Dennis Blair outlined the cyber threat in his Annual Threat Assessment of the US Intelligence Community, saying that “The United States confronts a dangerous combination of known and unknown vulnerabilities, strong and rapidly expanding adversary capabilities, and a lack of comprehensive threat awareness.”

China denies cyber attacks on Google originated in two of country’s schools

Feb 24

Times EnemyChina, news, security China, insecure news, news No Comments

China denies cyber attacks on Google originated in two of country’s schools
By Aileen McCabe, Canwest News Service
February 24, 2010 7:54 AM

The Chinese government came out swinging Tuesday against allegations the cyber attacks that led Google to threaten to pull out of the world’s most populous nation originated in one of China’s top universities and at a little-known vocational school with suspected links to the military.

“Reports that these [attacks] came from Chinese schools are groundless, and accusations of Chinese government involvement are irresponsible and out of ulterior motives,” a Foreign Affairs spokesman told reporters.

2 China Schools Said to Be Tied to Online Attacks

Feb 18

Times Enemyseo China, insecure news, news, Taiwan No Comments

2 China Schools Said to Be Tied to Online Attacks
By JOHN MARKOFF and DAVID BARBOZA
Published: February 18, 2010

SAN FRANCISCO — A series of online attacks on Google and dozens of other American corporations have been traced to computers at two educational institutions in China, including one with close ties to the Chinese military, say people involved in the investigation.

They also said the attacks, aimed at stealing trade secrets and computer codes and capturing e-mail of Chinese human rights activists, may have begun as early as April, months earlier than previously believed. Google announced on Jan. 12 that it and other companies had been subjected to sophisticated attacks that probably came from China.

China leads the world in hacked computers, McAfee study says

Feb 15

Times EnemyChina, security China, insecure news No Comments

China leads the world in hacked computers, McAfee study says
By Ellen Nakashima
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 15, 2010

More private computers were commandeered by hackers for malicious purposes in China in the last quarter of 2009 than in any other country, including the United States, according to a new study by an Internet security company.

These “zombie” computers are often grouped into “botnets,” or armies of infected computers that can be used to send spam e-mail or attack Web sites, according to McAfee, a Silicon Valley security firm. The company, which said it collects information about Internet-based threats that target more than 100 million computers in 120 countries, said that in the last three months of 2009, about 1,095,000 computers in China and 1,057,000 in the United States were infected.

Cyberattacks from China threaten world’s businesses

Feb 13

Times EnemyChina, security China, insecure news No Comments

Cyberattacks from China threaten world’s businesses
Few firms admit they are targets

By Joe McDonald • Associated Press • February 13, 2010

BEIJING — Google’s accusation that its e-mail accounts were hacked from China landed like a bombshell because it cast light on a problem that few companies will discuss: the pervasive threat from China-based cyberattacks.

The hacking that angered Google Inc. and hit dozens of other businesses adds to growing concern that China is a center for a global explosion of Internet crimes, part of a rash of attacks aimed at a wide array of targets, from a British military contractor to banks and chemical companies to a California software maker.

Worries grow about America’s cyber security

Feb 13

Times EnemyChina, security China, insecure news No Comments

Worries grow about America’s cyber security
Feb 13, 2010 (The Kansas City Star – McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX)

– The deputy secretary of defense says “the cyber threat” is the one thing that keeps him up at night.

The director of national intelligence says such attacks pose a severe menace to the “fragile system behind the country’s information infrastructure.” The president says, “America’s economic prosperity in the 21st century will depend on cyber security.” This is not some hypothetical danger, they point out, but a war that has been joined already. No less a digital dominator than Google has felt the need to enlist the National Security Agency to help it ward off Chinese hackers.

China Risks Backlash With Iran Sanction Refusal

Feb 11

Times EnemyChina, security China, insecure news, politics No Comments

China Risks Backlash With Iran Sanction Refusal
Thursday, February 11, 2010

BEIJING — China’s refusal to sign on to new sanctions against Iran risks prompting a backlash affecting its increasingly complex interests abroad, experts say.

Recent remarks by President Barack Obama citing China’s opposition, and unusually tough talk from Russia — long a sanctions skeptic — has spotlighted Beijing’s refusal to back such steps as a way of pressuring Iran over its nuclear program.

Nikolai Patrushev, the chief of Russia’s Security Council, said Tuesday that Iran’s recent actions “have raised doubts among other nations, and these doubts are quite well-founded.” His comments appeared to indicate that Russia is increasingly warming up to the U.S. sanctions push.