2008 U.S MILITARY SYSTEM INTRUSION
The details about a major cyber crime that compromised military computers have been released by the bi-monthly magazine Foreign Affairs. It is stated by Deputy Secretary of Defense came from a memory disk which was inserted to a laptop belonging to United States military personnel in the Middle East. The malicious code subsequently spread undetected to classified and unclassified systems and gave attackers a chance to transfer information to servers on their control.
The attack was termed as a wake-up call that implied a turning point in the US fight against cyber crime. The report is important because it highlights and creates the awareness of threats facing the military. Although the method of attack was simple through a flask disk, it caused severe impacts.
According to David Gewirtz, cybercrime advisor for International Association for Counterterrorism and Security Professionals, publishing the information is important because it sensitizes people to pay attention to small devices such as iPods that can cause considerable degree of threats.
Larry Clinton, the president of Internet Security Alliance echo the same sentiments and express the fact that threats directed at the US are on the increase both on the public and private sector but clarified the fact that the US is developing sound measures to cap cyber intrusion.
The attack compromised thousands of military data including weapons blueprints, surveillance data and operational plans. Other systems that are integrated to the internet in the US are services for response, systems used in hospitals, and traffic systems. Also included are power and water systems. The control measures the US government has been working on include U.S Cyber Command that integrates cyber defense operation across the military and NSA’s counter intrusion systems that automatically deploy counter intrusion to defense and intelligence networks.
References
Kim Normann Andersen, E. F. (2010). Electronic Government and the Information Systems Perspective:. Springer.
US, N. (2008, August 25). Cyber Attacks Againts US Military Computers Increase Sharply. Voice of America.
