White House Confirms Chinese Cyberattack 212
New submitter clam666 writes "White House sources partly confirmed that U.S. government computers — reportedly including systems used by the military for nuclear commands — were breached by Chinese hackers. From the article: 'The attempted hack used 'spear phishing,' in which an attacker sends an email to a specific target that uses familiar phrases in hopes that the recipient will follow links or download attachments that unleash the hacker's malware. None of the White House's secure, classified computer systems were affected, said the official, who reached out to POLITICO after the Free Beacon story appeared — without having been asked for comment. Nor had there been any attempted breach of a classified system, according to the official.'"
Re:Wait, what? (Score:3, Interesting)
That's funny. I was at a client site (aerospace contractor) doing some software training in the mid-2000s, and when I asked why IE wasn't working on the computer I was using to demonstrate something I was told, "Oh, that's a DoD station; use this one right next to it."
So it was sort of airgapped, but all that Men In Black access control you were talking about was nowhere in sight.
I've had similar experiences at other defense contractors, too; although in that case I wasn't allowed to actually use the classified computers in the room with me, and it was suggested that I shouldn't really stare too long at the RC quad-copter some guys were working on over in the corner (although nobody put up a curtain or anything).
I thought I was "bad" with links! (Score:0, Interesting)
Thanks for them though, I have "interests" in this area's why!
* One of the dumbest things we've also done (in a way, it does have a "good side", as do ALL 'hack/crack' attempts (yes, I do believe in making lemonade out of lemons))?
When Microsoft licensed out the sourcecode to Chinese educational institutions (as well as other nations). This can be a real "double-edged sword" for step-tracing & finding potential 'bugs' to exploit.
Then again, as I noted above? Once they're exposed in these "cyber attacks", it's 1 time that "trickledown" thinking, works - since you can BET that MS or other OS makers will patch for it, once it's discovered + used.
(The ones that spook me most? The ones you DON'T know about & haven't been exposed...)
I've met & worked with Chinese programmers since 1994 here & there in both academia, AND in professional environs: They're as good as anyone else is, & quite clever!
APK
P.S.=> Plus, we both noted Sun-Tzu in our posts as well, so, I had to reply (good read from you, must be an INTERESTING job you have there)...
... apk
Re:So... (Score:4, Interesting)
First off, CSI Miami is 42 minutes long.
Second, the Libyan President went on TV 1 week after the attack and said it was a terrorist attack. With the enormous intelligence budget we give to all the various Three-Letter Agencies, the U.S. should have known before a fledgling country with no intelligence agencies.
Oh yeah. Just like they did on September 10, 2001.
There's a country full of milling militias, any one (or more) which might seize an opportunity in a condition of general unrest. There's the possibility that one single militia had one single pre-prepared plan that they could roll out. There's the possibility that Al-Qaeda had a plan already set up and scheduled. Then again, there's a load of politically-based sensationalism a certain so-called "News" network wants to promote, which is basically trying to convince us that Osama, er, "Usama" bin Ladin personally led a wave of jihadis in a grand, pre-planned anniversary wave of jihadis - but only in one of the several unsettled countries making noise at that time.
Since when do we blindly believe what politicians say? Especially other people's politicians?
OK, I'm keeping an open mind. It's possible that this really was all an al-Qaeda plot. But I'd rather wait until the evidence was all collected, sifted and cross-checked. There's no ticking bomb here, and I'd really rather not have another pants-wetting rush to find ways to curtail our freedom just because some gang broke in and committed atrocities again.
Speaking of classified... (Score:5, Interesting)
"White House sources partly confirmed that U.S. government computers — reportedly including systems used by the military for nuclear commands — were breached by Chinese hackers."
Check. Got it.
"Nor had there been any attempted breach of a classified system, according to the official.'"
Chinese breach nuke system, no classified systems were breached, so nuke systems aren't classified....?
Re:Need new goggles? (Score:3, Interesting)
How long will you excuse the stupidity before you realize that it's intentional? It took me quite a long time, and I ignored all the warnings from people around me at the time. Now that we have descended in to the state they predicted, bankrupted and near tyranny I get it.
Instead of wasting your time making excuses for them, do something productive. Go get some people you trust on ballots and campaign to get them in to offices, and get the turds out of the punch bowl.
Re:Need new goggles? (Score:2, Interesting)
And just to be clear, do you think Obama is just "Stupid" when he is spending 2 times what the Government income is every year? Does anyone not know what happens when they have 0 savings, and spend twice their income year after year? Come on now, you can't be that gullible can you?
Do you think that Fast and Furious was just a stupid idea, and of course ignore demand letters 1-3? I'm guessing so, because they are too stupid to make those kinds of mistakes intentionally right?
The NDAA was just another mistake I'm sure. Lets ignore the fact that Obama and his attorneys have appealed the judges ruling twice now, it's just stupidity at work and he really does care about John Q Public and would never put them in jail or kill them without trial.
Yeah, I mean.. these guys are just stupid. I mean, all those years of grooming and college to prep them for the office and they are just.. well, stupid right? Or are the people that believe they are stupid?