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Thread: NEWS: US fears nuclear cyber terror attacks

  1. #1
    Fastest Thing Alive s0nIc's Avatar
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    Cool NEWS: US fears nuclear cyber terror attacks

    Al-Qaeda computers seized by US forces in Afghanistan

    Hackers affiliated to Al-Qaeda may be planning cyber attacks on nuclear power plants, dams or other critical structures.

    According to a report in the The Washington Post, an FBI investigation of suspicious surveillance of key computers discovered "multiple casings of sites" nationwide.

    Quoting a Defense Department summary of the probe, the newspaper said hackers routed through telecommunications switches in Saudi Arabia, Indonesia and Pakistan. They did this to study emergency telephone systems, electrical generation and transmission, water storage and distribution, nuclear power plants and gas facilities.

    Some of the mysterious computer probes targeted a class of digital devices that allow remote control of such things as fire dispatch services and pipelines.

    Information about those devices and hacking them were found on Al-Qaeda computers seized by US forces in Afghanistan.

    The computer logs found show that Al-Qaeda operators spent time on sites that offer software and programming instructions for the digital switches running power, water, transport and communications grids.

    The newspaper also said that some Al-Qaeda prisoners have told their US interrogators about intentions, in general terms, to use those tools.

    Source: http://www.vnunet.com/News/1133033

  2. #2
    Just finished reading this :

    http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...2002Jun26.html

    That's kind of a follow-up on your article (is that how you say it?? i'm not english so i have trouble speaking my mind sometimes )

  3. #3
    Fastest Thing Alive s0nIc's Avatar
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    hmm this is like the movie come to life huh? lol
    i guess our cyber cops are on their toes now... hmm and a water dam can be shut down with a symple hack.. it happened once here in Australia in the neighboring Melbourne.. not to mention the Air Traffic Controll that was accidentally hacked by a teen who thought it was just a local telephone company..

  4. #4
    This is the new wave of war I guess. Computers now mimicing weapons of mass destruction. Very interesting read.

  5. #5
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    I don't think that this is a problem solely in the USA. Yes, knowledge is out there. Yes, any knowledge has the potential of abuse if that is what someone wants to do. If one group targets another, what is to say that yet another won't be targeted. I know little of international politics, but this does seem to be an issue for everyone.

  6. #6
    hmm seems to me like the US will have their hands full now

  7. #7
    Old-Fogey:Addicts founder Terr's Avatar
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    I blame it on people cutting corners in order to make administering large systems easier. Ideally they should know that it is NOT safe to be able to go to access.electrical.us/control/disablegrid?id=35652

    To reiterate my little security philosophy... make it physically impossible to modify the working of the system remotely. Monitor? Sure. But when it comes to major risk areas, don't invite problems...

    Well, I guess it depends what part of what kind of system you consider.
    [HvC]Terr: L33T Technical Proficiency

  8. #8
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    Reminds of the movie "Sneakers," in a way. Mainly because of the quote near the end when he's referring to the fact the wars won't be fought with "guns," so to speak, it's all about the information, and technology. Which I believe to be totally true. The interesting thing to consider is, if we're at this point right now, and the way technology is exponentially advancing, what will things be like in 5,15, 20 years? Personally, I think we're going to come to a "pinnacle" 'make or break' situation in the not do distant future. As far as the U.S. is concerned, really. Anyways..just thought I'd spit out my .02

    Later..
    \"Desperation rears its ugly head. Give me the will to fight. Indecision makes the final call. Do you know what\'s right?\" -PROPAIN

  9. #9
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    I realy dont believe that any one is that stupid to do that. Just because the US has hardly any secuirity at all when it comes to computing doesnt mean that some one whould or could do this. I know that there was already some People that where trying to hack the US to get control of the water sources and such in the US but of coures they couldent get through the US firewall. So i am very sure that it would be a rare event for any one to get in.

    FaUlTy writing...
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  10. #10
    str34m3r
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    People that where trying to hack the US to get control of the water sources and such in the US but of coures they couldent get through the US firewall. So i am very sure that it would be a rare event for any one to get in.
    You think there's a really big firewall all around the US or something? That's not how it works. Each individual company/organization has its own firewall and is responsible for its own security. And to be frank, a lot of the organizations' security sucks.

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