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By Bill Gertz, October 2, 2012 5:45 pm, The Washington Free Beacon —
Law enforcement and national security agencies are investigating the hacking of a White House computer last month that penetrated a network inside the White House Military Office that handles top-secret data, U.S. officials said. On Capitol Hill, House Republicans this week asked the White House to provide details of the attack on the White House Communications Agency, which runs the Situation Room and classified communications and teleconferences. Meanwhile, officials said President Barack Obama was not notified about the cyber…
Chinese military is targeting critical U.S. infrastructure for cyber attacks, report says
China’s secret military cyber warfare unit is targeting critical U.S. infrastructure for potential disruption during a future conflict.
A forthcoming report by the congressional U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission reveals that Unit 61398, a People’s Liberation Army unit based near Shanghai, is preparing to target U.S. infrastructure.
A late draft of the forthcoming report, set for release Nov. 19, said that a threat researcher at the Japanese cyber security company Trend Micro set up a “honeypot” – a false online target that simulated a an industrial control system for…
EFI splits from Global Network Initiative
Recent revelations about government surveillance have begun splintering the Global Network Initiative (GNI), a group of Internet advocacy groups and tech companies dedicated to advancing human rights online. Full story:… Read More…
NSA, GCHQ target anonymous web tool
The National Security Agency has made repeated attempts to develop attacks against people using Tor, a popular tool designed to protect online anonymity, despite the fact the software is primarily funded and promoted by the US government itself.
Guardian,
Oct. 4, 2013
Full story…… Read More…
Government demands Internet firms provide users’ passwords
By Declan McCullagh, July 25, 2013 11:26 AM PDT, CNET News — The U.S. government has demanded that major Internet companies divulge users’ stored passwords, according to two industry sources familiar with these orders, which represent an escalation in surveillance techniques that has not previously been disclosed. If the government is able to determine a person’s password, which is typically stored in encrypted form, the credential could be used to log in to an account to peruse confidential correspondence or even impersonate the user. Obtaining it also would aid in deciphering…
Russia faces problems for cyber command
Russia’s Defense Ministry is moving ahead with plans to create a cyber warfare unit that will be operational by the end of 2013 and will seek to counter cyber threats. U.S. officials, however, say the Russian military is struggling to find computer and network professionals with the expertise for the command. Officials says the problems suggest the Russian military cyber warfare capabilities will have limited in the beginning and focuse on countering threats to networks rather than offensive computer attack operations. The Russian cyber force will be similar to the U.S. Cyber Command…
Top-secret presidential order reveals government policy for offensive, defensive cyber warfare
Order creates new policy unit By Bill Gertz June 10, 2013 3:25 pm President Obama’s internal directive on cyber warfare was disclosed in public last week, showing for the first time details of U.S. policies for waging both offensive and defense digital operations by military forces and intelligence agencies. The directive, known as PDD-20, defines the use of what it terms as “defense cyber effects operations” DCEO and “offensive cyber effects operations” OCEO against foreign target networks. It also revealed plans for the use of what the White House calls “Emergency Cyber Action” – urgent…
DHS warns about new ‘watering hole’ cyber attack vulnerability as a high-tech firm also reportedly is hit
Chinese Cyberattack Continues
BY: Bill Gertz
January 3, 2013 6:45 pm
The Department of Homeland Security warned Internet Explorer users this week about a new software flaw used in remote cyber attacks as Microsoft issued an advisory on the embattled browser’s software hole.
The response followed reports in the Free Beacon revealing that hackers linked to China attacked the Council on Foreign Relations website and used it as a watering hole for a sophisticated cyberespionage attack.
Meanwhile, a company that builds microturbine electrical generators was attacked by the same hackers, according to two online security specialists.
The software traced to the…
U.S. Investigating White House Cyber Attack
By Bill Gertz, October 2, 2012 5:45 pm, The Washington Free Beacon —Law enforcement and national security agencies are investigating the hacking of a White House computer last month that penetrated a network inside the White House Military Office that handles top-secret data, U.S. officials said. On Capitol Hill, House Republicans this week asked the White House to provide details of the attack on the White House Communications Agency, which runs the Situation Room and classified communications and teleconferences. Meanwhile, officials said President Barack Obama was not notified about the cyber…