Lockheed Martin hit by computer attack

**Armenum** · May 29, 2011, 09:18 AM

This just comes to show how serious the cyber threat is becoming these days. As I've said before, future wars will probably be fought significantly over the net. If the computer system of such a prominent company can be breached, just imagine what else can be done. Fortunately, no data was compromised according the Lockheed, but it's still troubling to know that possibly very sensitive information like that could fall into the wrong hands. Hopefully, governments and such high profile companies will learn from this incident and increase computer security significantly.

Lockheed Martin hit by computer attack

The aerospace company thwarted the attempted breach after detecting it a week ago. No data has been compromised, a spokeswoman says.

Reuters

May 29, 2011

Reporting from Washington

Lockheed Martin Corp., the world's largest aerospace company, said Saturday it detected and thwarted "a significant and tenacious attack" on its information systems a week ago.

"As a result of the swift and deliberate actions taken to protect the network and increase IT security, our systems remain secure," said Jennifer Whitlow, a Lockheed spokeswoman. "No customer, program or employee personal data has been compromised."

The Department of Homeland Security and the Defense Department have offered to help gauge the scope of the incident involving the defense contractor.

A person with direct knowledge of the incident said Friday that unknown attackers had broken into sensitive networks of Lockheed Martin and several other U.S. military contractors.

The hackers breached security systems designed to keep out intruders by creating duplicate electronic keys, said the source, who was not authorized to discuss the matter publicly.

The Defense Department said the effect of the Lockheed cyber attack on the Pentagon was "minimal," and it expected no harm to result.

**NotYetRegistered** · May 29, 2011, 10:30 AM

China?

**GrnEyedDvl** · May 29, 2011, 10:31 AM

I would bet this was a foreign government attempt.

**leeho730** · May 29, 2011, 10:48 AM

China highly likely. They've been very active in Australia, former prime minister even saying military action might be necessary in the future (according to Wikileak). They've been attempting to steal stealth technology for a while....

**Vanoi** · May 29, 2011, 10:50 AM

I am pretty sure this was China.

**Guy** · May 29, 2011, 11:26 AM

How convenient. The recent 2011 census for the United Kingdom also covertly owned by the Lockheed Martin company. I hope they don't mention my middle name! How embarrassing...

**Armenum** · May 29, 2011, 04:54 PM

I would say probably China supported as well. The expertise needed to infiltrate the computer system of Lockheed Martin must be great, and definitely has some serious support from government elements. Computer Security is going to become more and more an emerging market in my eyes.

**~~Exarch~~** · May 29, 2011, 04:56 PM

it could've been angola and everyone'll still assume China

it's so funny seeing how easily influenced ppl are at believing what their governments want them to believe/fear

**Armenum** · May 29, 2011, 04:58 PM

Originally Posted by Exarch

it could've been angola and everyone'll still assume China

it's so funny seeing how easily influenced ppl are at believing what their governments want them to believe/fear

Angola has the resources and expertise to hack top notch computer systems like that of Lockheed Martin? People say China, based on the history of them in this area.

**Denny Crane!** · May 29, 2011, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by Exarch

it could've been angola and everyone'll still assume China

it's so funny seeing how easily influenced ppl are at believing what their governments want them to believe/fear

I believe it is a question of resources sir.

**~~Exarch~~** · May 29, 2011, 05:02 PM

Originally Posted by Denny Crane!

I believe it is a question of resources sir.

my point is that it could've been france/russia/uk/nigeria/israel etc any country with adept crackers and the moment it hits the presses, everyone assumes it's China due in no small part to media insinuation. it's no deal to reroute proxies through China as some crackers do.

a few months ago, when french computers got hacked the french media judged china guilty before being proven innocent; so even when the chinese cracker community was cleared by the french police, the mud still stuck

**mrmouth** · May 29, 2011, 09:43 PM

Originally Posted by Exarch

my point is that it could've been france/russia/uk/nigeria/israel etc any country with adept crackers and the moment it hits the presses, everyone assumes it's China due in no small part to media insinuation. it's no deal to reroute proxies through China as some crackers do.

More like a long history of attacks being traced back to China. And these things happen everyday. It isn't just governments that speak out about it, but internet security specialists all over the world. It is kind of just a known fact at this point. God knows it was outlined in no uncertain terms in the Wikileaks cables.

The only thing that is speculation is whether China is officially sponsoring these mass attacks. And there is some pretty strong evidence that they are. And the only reason this made such a big splash is because of the clear evidence that points towards espionage at a higher level, in that it appears that passwords were physically stolen.

It is just unfortunate that the world has to do business with such a duplicitous government. Perfect example is Australia. Due to geographical realities, they really have no other choice than to give contracts to China, and get thoroughly stabbed in the back in the process.

Why anyone in their right mind would think that a more powerful China is a good thing, is beyond me.

Originally Posted by Exarch

the USG is forced to consider iran as an enemy because of saudi arabia and israel's whining and the way riyadh pisses their britches whenever iranians blow in the wind

Really...?

**~~Exarch~~** · May 29, 2011, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by BarnabyJones

More like a long history of attacks being traced back to China. And these things happen everyday. It isn't just governments that speak out about it, but internet security specialists all over the world. It is kind of just a known fact at this point. God knows it was outlined in no uncertain terms in the Wikileaks cables.

The only thing that is speculation is whether China is officially sponsoring these mass attacks. And there is some pretty strong evidence that they are. And the only reason this made such a big splash is because of the clear evidence that points towards espionage at a higher level, in that it appears that passwords were physically stolen.

It is just unfortunate that the world has to do business with such a duplicitous government. Perfect example is Australia. Due to geographical realities, they really have no other choice than to give contracts to China, and get thoroughly stabbed in the back in the process.

Why anyone in their right mind would think that a more powerful China is a good thing, is beyond me.
?

that's only one narrative and perhaps the only one you choose to subscribe to;

a perfect example of why it is, that some americans consistently choose to live in fear rather than accepting a different worldview.

also,
australia chooses to do business with China, not because we're forced to as you seem to imply; heck, does that mean GM, walmart, apple are forced to do business with China?
business is business; if you want access to the chinese market, if you want to sell stuff to the chinese, naturally you need to make business deals.
i approve of australia forming closer political and economic relations with China; do you really expect to marginalise 20% of the world's population?

**charles the hammer** · May 29, 2011, 04:59 PM

Originally Posted by Exarch

it could've been angola and everyone'll still assume China

it's so funny seeing how easily influenced ppl are at believing what their governments want them to believe/fear

That makes no sense, as the article makes no mention of China.

**Armenum** · May 29, 2011, 05:07 PM

Originally Posted by charles the hammer

That makes no sense, as the article makes no mention of China.

Well we are just speculating of course. Nothing certain.

Some more articles:

Lockheed Martin computer system under 'significant attack'
Lockheed Martin, the Pentagon's biggest IT and arms supplier, has thwarted a "significant and tenacious attack" on its computer network, it emerged yesterday.

By Alex Spillius

In what appeared to be one of the most audacious acts of cyber-warfare conducted so far, the breach came against a backdrop of repeated attempts by rivals of the US, chiefly China and Russia, to infiltrate information networks and glean details of major weapons systems.
The company said that no customer or employee data had been compromised during the attack last week, while the Pentagon said the impact on its operations had been "minimal".
Yesterday however Lockheed was still working to restore employee access to its networks, and the experts from the Department Homeland Security and the Pentagon were trying to determine the extent of the data breach.
Lockheed is the maker of the F-16, F-22 and F-35 fighter jets as well as warships and other multibillion-dollar arms systems sold worldwide.
Officials had no information on the origin on the attack, but one of the US diplomatic cables released by the WikiLeaks website suggested that China had jumped ahead of the US when it came to cyber-espionage.

Lockheed attack highlights rise in cyber espionage
(AP)
NEW YORK (AP) — Lockheed Martin has admitted it was the recent target of a "significant and tenacious" cyber attack, although the defense contractor and the Department of Homeland Security insist the hack was thwarted before any critical data was stolen. But what about next time? With top-secret military programs at stake, staying a step ahead of ever-evolving cyber spies is not just a task for corporate IT departments, it's a matter of national security.

continued

Information security experts say the rash of cyber attacks this year — including a massive security breach at Sony Corp. last month that affected millions of PlayStation users — has emboldened hackers and made them more willing to pursue sensitive information.
"2011 has really lit up the boards in terms of data breaches," said Josh Shaul, chief technology officer at Application Security, a New York-based company that is one of the largest database security software makers. "The list of targets just grows and grows."
Lockheed Martin Corp. said in a statement Saturday that it detected the May 21 attack "almost immediately" and took countermeasures.
"Our systems remain secure; no customer, program or employee personal data has been compromised," the Bethesda, Md.-based company said. Neither Lockheed Martin nor federal agencies would reveal specifics of the attack, or its origins. Company spokeswoman Jennifer Whitlow declined to comment further on the case Sunday.
This isn't the first time Lockheed Martin has been targeted. Nearly four years ago, officials revealed that hackers had breached Lockheed's high-tech Joint Strike Fighter program. Officials said that no classified information about the military program was compromised, but heightened protections were added.
Analysts said the latest attack would likely spur rival defensive contractors like Northrop Grumman Corp., Raytheon Co., General Dynamics Corp. and Boeing Co. to take additional steps to safeguard their systems.
"I guarantee you every major defense contractor is on double alert this weekend, watching what's going on and making sure they're not the next to fall victim," Shaul said.
Boeing declined to comment on the company's network security measures. Northrop Grumman spokesman Randy Belote said in an e-mailed statement that "we do not comment on whether or not Northrop Grumman is or has been a target for cyber intrusions," adding that the company "continuously monitors and proactively strengthens the security of our networks."
Over the past several years, the U.S. government has become more aggressive in its efforts to tackle cybercrime, developing strategies to beef up government computer systems, expand cooperation with other countries and improve coordination with the private sector. Cybersecurity was declared a top priority by President Barack Obama shortly after he took office in 2009, setting off several government-wide reviews to develop strategies to frame how the U.S. will better secure government, business and public online activity.
The Pentagon last May set up a new Cyber Command, based alongside the National Security Agency at Fort Meade, Md., in recognition of the expanding threat against the Defense Department and the need to better coordinate the nation's offensive and defensive cyber operations. The Department of Homeland Security is also slowly employing an automated system — known as Einstein 2 and Einstein 3 — to protect government agencies' computer systems.
Still, the attacks have continued. William J. Lynn III, the deputy defense secretary, said in January that more than 100 foreign intelligence agencies have tried to breach U.S. defense computer networks, largely to steal military plans and weapons systems designs.
Attacks against corporations have been growing this year. In March, RSA, the security division of data storage company EMC, acknowledged that its computer network was hacked. The implications are serious because RSA's technology underpins the security of some of the world's most closely guarded data. RSA makes small security devices that supply constantly changing numbers that are used as secondary passwords for accessing corporate networks and email.
Last month, more than 100 million online accounts were affected by a hacking of Sony's PlayStation Network gaming service and other online services.
Companies have gotten better at detecting attacks through so-called "intrusion software" that uncovers odd behavior on networks, said Alfred Huger, vice president of development at security firm Sourcefire. As recently as five years ago, Huger said it was difficult for companies to determine if they were being hacked.
Still, even with the enhanced technology, experts say cyber espionage will continue and evolve. Rich Mogull, analyst and CEO of Phoenix-based security research firm Securosis, noted that governments and defense agencies have been spying on each other throughout history. Computers have just made it easier to do so electronically.
"This is just what countries do," he said. "It's the unfortunate reality of how the world works."
Baldor reported from Washington.
Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

**Pyrich** · May 29, 2011, 05:19 PM

GhostNet being GhostNet.

**~~Exarch~~** · May 29, 2011, 05:22 PM

ghostnet was targeting tibetan nationalists and secessionists, not military hardware

**Pyrich** · May 29, 2011, 06:59 PM

Originally Posted by Exarch

ghostnet was targeting tibetan nationalists and secessionists, not military hardware

Its targeting everything, Brazil to Canada, Spain to Russia. Banking, electrical/transportation infrastructure, society as a whole. All China has to do is ask... but where's the fun in that i suppose.