Security Backdoor Found In China-Made US Military Chip

[rdunk]

Yes, "The perfect horribleness of it" = The perfect storm"!

Of course, there are probably so many different ways that the typical chip in this country can be compromised, including EMP. There will always be possibilities in screwing with digital, that were no so prevalent in "hard-wired" stuff.

[burntheships]

EMP

True. This seems to shed a whole new light on the idea of an EMP
"attack". This is war...a very modern Trojan Horse.

I see the idea, why destroy when you can use and control? 

[Amaterasu]

Ah, I work for a day when there are no "enemies."  When every Human is equal in power and freedom.  When there is no profit motive, there is no need to spy, there is no gain in bad work and only the BEST pays off.

[sigh]  It will happen!

[thorfourwinds]

Russian Hackers – a Threat to Power Companies

July 14th, 2014 | by hqanon
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Monday July 14, 2014
Written by: Captain Planet

The group most recently known as Energetic Bear, previously called Dragonfly, are using malware to infiltrate the industrial control systems of Western energy companies. Over recent months they have targeted petroleum pipeline operators, grid operators, major electricity generation firms and other strategically important energy companies.

Security firm Symantec believe that the Russian government may be backing Dragonfly, explaining "Dragonfly bears the hallmarks of a state-sponsored operation, displaying a high degree of technical capability."

Attacking Monday to Friday between the hours of 9am and 6pm, Dragonfly is thought to have compromised more than 1,000 company's computer systems to spy on them – they have not yet attempted sabotage. If they were to, they could cause serious disruption to energy supplies.


The hackers infiltrated three top manufacturers of industrial control systems and inserted their malware into the software updates those companies' clients used; upon download, the clients' systems were infected. While there's no evidence the hackers intend to do physical damage, "the potential for sabotage is there," says a Symantec director.



The attacks have gone on for 18 months, the worst seeing remote-access type Trojans used on numerous industrial control systems. Dragonfly seems to be using similar tactics to those used in Stuxnet attacks, which are believed to have infiltrated Iran's uranium enrichment facility. It is believed the US were to blame for the 2010 attacks, which temporarily disabled 1,000 centrifuges that were being used to enrich uranium by Iran.

It is believed that Dragonfly use traps set on 'watering hole' sites, sites that are trusted by the company targeted and therefore likely to be frequented, to infect the energy companies. This form of cyber-attack is associated with espionage attacks.

 
The FBI discovered a Chinese hacker, called UglyGorilla, seeking access to parts of a U.S. utility company's systems that would let him cut off heat or damage pipelines. He and others working for the Chinese People's Liberation Army were indicted by a U.S. grand jury in May for computer fraud and economic espionage.


Dragonfly have been known to be operating since 2011, when they were targeting defense and aviation companies in the US and Canada. In 2013 they began to attack US and European energy firms, receiving the newer name of Energetic Bear.

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Pie Chart: Countries that have been effected by Energetic Bear's attacks

Although there is, of course, a future risk of sabotage, so far it seems that the malware is being used to spy, rather than sabotage. The Russian government aren't strangers to cyber spying, with FAPSI (Russia's Federal Agency of Governmental Communications and Information) being the equivalent of America's National Security Agency.

Part of it is Microsoft's fault for sharing source code with Russia/China. The latest PC mag article I found dated 2012: Microsoft finds new PCs in China preinstalled with malware.