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Hackers Swipe Terabytes of Sensitive Pentagon Data
By: Roy Mark
2009-04-21
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Computer spies again hit the U.S., this time targeting sensitive data involving the $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project. The most expensive Pentagon weapons system ever developed, the program involves 7.5 million lines of code, of which hackers made off with several terabytes.
With President Obama's review of U.S.cyber-security due this week, the Wall Street Journal is reporting that unknownhackers have infiltrated the Pentagon's most expensive weapons program. Theincident follows reports that computer spieshave also hit the U.S. power grid and the Air Force's air traffic controlsystem.
The latest hack involves the Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighterproject, where it is reported that intruders successfully managed to grabseveral terabytes of data, including information about the design andelectronics systems of the program. Although the hack could allow the thieves tobetter defend against the Joint Strike Fighter, Pentagon officials said themost sensitive data about the program was untouched, since it is stored on a computernot connected to the Internet.
The Wall Street Journal quoted unnamed sources who claimed the attacksoriginated from China,although Pentagon officials said it is very easy to mask such attacks and noactual proof exists of Chinese involvement. The Chinese Embassy in Washingtondenied the allegations.
Also known as the F-35 Lightening II, the Joint Strike Fighter is beingdeveloped by Lockheed Martin for the U.S. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps, andthe British Royal Navy. A stealth, supersonic multirole fighter, the F-35relies on 7.5 million lines of code, more than three times the code employed onany other fighter plane.
The hackers infiltrated the system through network vulnerabilities of severalcontractors working on the project. In addition to Lockheed Martin, other contractorsworking on the fighter plane include Northrup Grumman and BAE Systems. Thespies encrypted the data as it was being stolen, leaving Pentagon officialsunable to account for all of the data that may have been stolen.
Currently, the United Stateshas no centralized government or military office responsible for cyber-security.Shortly after taking office, Obama ordered his National Security and HomelandSecurity advisers to conduct a 60-day review of the U.S. government's cyber-security plans, programsand activities. The review, which is due as early as this week, is headedby Melissa Hathaway, who served as the national cyber-security coordinatorunder former President Bush.
Hathaway was also named a senior director at the National Security Council, andnumerous media accounts have mentioned her as a top candidate to serve as Obama'scyber-security chief. A former Booz Allen consultant, Hathaway led a group thatdeveloped Bush's National Cybersecurity Initiative.
On severaloccasions while campaigning for the presidency, Obama stressed the importanceof beefing up the United States' cyber-security efforts while at the same time protectingprivacy rights. At a campaign stop in Indiana, Obama said, "We need to build the capacity toidentify, isolate and respond to any cyber-attack. And we need to develop newstandards for the cyber-security that protects our most importantinfrastructure, from electrical grids to sewage systems, from air trafficcontrol to our markets."
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