Cyber Warfare

The Sportsmanship of Cyber-warfare …item 2.. Gauss, a new “cyber-espionage toolkit” (August 9, 2012 11:08 AM PDT) …item 3.. New U.S. intelligence report raises urgency over Iran’s nuclear program (Aug.09, 2012) (Photo credit: marsmet545)

English: Key Petroleum Sector facilities (2004) Iran (Wall Map) 2004 “Iran Country Profile” Iran map with insets: Population Density, Ethnoreligious Distribution, Key Petroleum Sector Facilities, Southern Caspian Energy Prospects and Strait Of Hormuz (2.5M) (source: CIA map) http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/middle_east_and_asia/iran_country_profile_2004.jpg (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

English: Symbolic image depicting the computer virus Stuxnet (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some Stuxnet-related merchandizing (Photo credit: Eugene Kaspersky)

STUXNET – strayed from its intended target (November 8, 2012 4:26 PM PST) …item 2.. Hacker Claims to Have Breached Adobe (NOVEMBER 14, 2012, 12:49 PM) … (Photo credit: marsmet481)

I have chosen to do cyber warfare… I will continue to add to this over the next few days and weeks. It should be clear that wars in the future will be different than wars in the past. The first shot in the new realm of warfare was fired with the advent of Stuxnet. It is totally possible it may have been fired before then and the malware is still out in the wild undetected to this day. Stuxnet was the first time it could be argued a state actor attacked another state actor by using only electronic means. I knew at the time.. (reading the article on wired) that something fundamentally different was taking place. The whole way war is being waged is being rethought and new tools are replacing old tools as the weapons of choice. A cyber attack obviously can inflict a lot of damage as well as not putting anyone technically in harms way. Stuxnet if the reports are true set back the Iranian Nuclear Program anywhere from 2-5 years by ruining thousands of centrifuges. The Flame virus was similar in the sense it was obviously made by a state(s) security apparatis. It was different in the sense it was not really there to destroy.. it wanted to lurk and steal passwords and critical information across a multitude of areas.

The History major in me never dies.. I personally think Cyber Warfare is fascinating. Wired (the guy who does the security blog) is writing a book about Stuxnet. I will buy it as soon as it comes out. This topic is so vast and new that I wanted to try and understand it myself a bit before my life is controlled by it. The ramifications of Cyber Warfare are equally fascinating and important to understand in my opinion.

I will keep searching for new material and will add more when I come across more. I am personally going to try and understand “olympic games” and what exactly was/is going on in relation to this top secret program.

EDIT:::::(2-19-13)

There has been allegations in the past of widespread Chinese Hacking into the US. The New York Times in conjunction with a interent security firm have apparently nailed a wing of the Chinese Military in these exact cyber warfare type attack on widespread American interests.

The report-

“Our analysis has led us to conclude that APT1 is likely government-sponsored and one of the most persistent of China‘s cyber threat actors. The scale and impact of APT1’s operations compelled us to write this report. In an attempt to bolster defenses against APT1 operations Mandiant is also releasing more than 3,000 indicators as part of the appendix to this report, which can be used with our free tools and our commercial products to search for signs of APT attack activity”

http://intelreport.mandiant.com/

The New York Times article.

”

The building off Datong Road, surrounded by restaurants, massage parlors and a wine importer, is the headquarters of P.L.A. Unit 61398. A growing body of digital forensic evidence — confirmed by American intelligence officials who say they have tapped into the activity of the army unit for years — leaves little doubt that an overwhelming percentage of the attacks on American corporations, organizations and government agencies originate in and around the white tower.

An unusually detailed 60-page study, to be released Tuesday by Mandiant, an American computer security firm, tracks for the first time individual members of the most sophisticated of the Chinese hacking groups — known to many of its victims in the United States as “Comment Crew” or “Shanghai Group” — to the doorstep of the military unit’s headquarters. The firm was not able to place the hackers inside the 12-story building, but makes a case there is no other plausible explanation for why so many attacks come out of one comparatively small area.”

Other backing evidence.

http://www.zdnet.com/chinese-military-linked-to-overwhelming-number-of-cyberattacks-7000011484/

EDIT:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::02.21.2013:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

This got me thinking again about cyber warfare. I have been arguing for awhile that in reality the first shots of a ww3 have/has actually started. It is just quiet now and below the surface because most of it is a world wide cyber war is taking place. Countries vs Countries with various economic and military importance in the targets.

http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2013/02/19/Chinese-Attacks-Reveals-an-Undeclared-Global-Cyber-War.aspx#page1

A General who thinks Cyber war is more sinister than the Nuclear age. I am beginning to think the same way. The physical damage may not be as high as say a Nuclear Weapon but a widespread Cyber Attack could cripple this Country or any Country almost to the same level.

Fmr. CIA official: Cyber war ‘more sinister than nuclear age’

EDIT::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::02.27.2013::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://www.economist.com/news/china/21572228-evidence-mounting-chinas-government-sponsoring-cybertheft-western-corporate

How to the US defenses stack up in case of Cyber attack?

http://www.infoworld.com/d/security/the-cyber-war-real-and-our-defenses-are-weak-213016

The Kaspersky Lab breakdown of the Cyber attack known as Flame. Very interesting report.

http://www.securelist.com/en/blog?weblogid=208193522

Video with Eugene Kaspersky and Howard Schmidt, former advisor to Barrack Obama on cyber warfare issues.

PBS Newshour discussing Cyber Warfare issues.

Israel training a new Cyber Warfare training program.

http://www.zdnet.com/israel-launches-cyber-warfare-training-program-7000009264/

Nations Prepare for Cyber War

http://money.cnn.com/2013/01/07/technology/security/cyber-war/

Red October attack reported by Russian.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21013087

In England they are concerned they are behind the 8 ball when it comes to dealing with dealing with Cyber war attacks.

“In a report released today, the Defence Committee said the government did not appear to have a fully-constructed plan for dealing with a major cyber attack.”

http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/cyber-warfare-government-fatal-103575

The Ever increasing Stakes in Cyber Warfare.

http://www.plantengineering.com/single-article/cyber-war-stakes-rising/9ffc699849b218f4da01e5cc8e789640.html

EDIT::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::03.01.2013:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

http://www.foreignpolicy.com/articles/2013/02/28/how_to_win_a_cyberwar_with_china?page=full&wp_login_redirect=0

Olympic games-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Olympic_Games

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/06/the-rewards-and-risks-of-cyberwar.html

http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2012/06/did-americas-cyber-attack-on-iran-make-us-more-vulnerable/258120/

http://www.forbes.com/sites/richardstiennon/2012/06/04/operation-olympic-game-project-x-and-the-assault-on-the-it-security-industry/

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2012/06/10/why-was-stuxnet-attack-called-operation-olympic-games.html

EDIT::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::03.20.13:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

NATO has set out some rules on CyberWar.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/9939401/Rules-of-cyberwar-set-out-for-first-time-in-Nato-manual.html

Possible N. Korean cyberattack on S. Korea. (In my mind this adds way more questions than can be answered– for example in my humble opinion if it was N. Korea they must have had help for someone. I am looking at you China.)

http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/03/20/17380277-south-korea-on-alert-after-hackers-strike-banks-broadcasters?lite

 

The Main information:

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2013/01/red-october-spy-campaign/

http://topics.nytimes.com/topics/features/timestopics/series/cyberwar/index.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/special/investigative/zeroday/five/index.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/as-cyberwarfare-heats-up-allies-turn-to-us-companies-for-expertise/2012/11/22/a14f764c-192c-11e2-bd10-5ff056538b7c_story.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/46194869/Cyber-Warfare

http://www.scribd.com/doc/26211125/Cyber-Warfare-Doctrine-1

US-v-Iran

EDIT::http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2011/05/11/Enter-Unit-8200-Israel-arms-for-cyberwar/UPI-93881305142086/

http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/comment/2012/06/the-rewards-and-risks-of-cyberwar.html

http://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/us-israel-developed-computer-virus-to-slow-iranian-nuclear-efforts-officials-say/2012/06/19/gJQA6xBPoV_story.html

http://www.propublica.org/article/behind-the-u.s.-cyberattacks-on-iran

http://www.securityweek.com/red-october-cyber-espionage-campaign-rivals-flame-complexity

http://www.techweekeurope.co.uk/news/red-october-cyber-espionage-security-government-104168

US–v–Libya?

Stuxnet:

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/07/how-digital-detectives-deciphered-stuxnet/

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/12/25/stuxnet-worm-new-cyberattack_n_2362049.html

http://www.securelist.com/en/analysis/204792262/Red_October_Diplomatic_Cyber_Attacks_Investigation

http://www.securelist.com/en/analysis/204792244/The_geography_of_cybercrime_Western_Europe_and_North_America

http://www.securelist.com/en/analysis/204792238/Gauss_Abnormal_Distribution

duqu:

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2011/10/son-of-stuxnet-in-the-wild/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Previous

Flame:

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/05/flame/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Previous

http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/06/flame-command-and-control/?utm_source=Contextly&utm_medium=RelatedLinks&utm_campaign=Previous

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18560_162-57390124/stuxnet-computer-worm-opens-new-era-of-warfare/

Here Come the Lies (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

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