Indian Air Force (IAF) Issued Strict Rules & Discipline to Avoid Hacking

Indian Air Force (IAF) Issued Strict Rules & Discipline to Avoid Hacking

Last month in a report we said Indian Govt is working on a robust cyber security structure, and parallely now the Indian Govt is emphasizing its security structure to fight against cyber threats. As a result of this ongoing cyber awareness, a very strict order have been issued by Indian air force to tackle and avoid cyber attacks. From now and onward every officer of the Indian Air Force (IAF) will now have to sign a declaration that they will not save or view any official document on personal computers. Failure to adhere to this directive will lead to a court marshal and prosecution. In a recent case, operational documents were found on the personal computer of a young pilot posted at an airbase in Tamil Nadu. A court of inquiry has been initiated. Over the years, cyberspace has emerged as a critical frontier for espionage as the use of computers and dependence on the internet has grown. Thus, document security has emerged as one of critical areas of concern for the government. It is perhaps alluding to these increasing instances of the cyberspace being used by foreign agencies to collect critical information. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while addressing top cops of the country at the annual security conference hosted by the Intelligence Bureau earlier this month, said, "Our country's vulnerability to cybercrime is escalating... Large-scale computer attacks on our critical infrastructure and economy can have potentially devastating results. The government is working on a robust cyber security structure."

As a general rule, computers in which sensitive information are stored or prepared are never connected to the internet. "The IAF internal communication network, for instance, is not only a stand-alone network with no connection to the net, but also has the system configured in such a way that it doesn't allow external storage devices like pen drives or CDs," a senior MoD official told the press. Nonetheless, some officers have been found "keeping copies or preparing documents using critical information in their personal computers, which have subsequently passed out by malwares in the system or hacked," the officer added.

Beside of developing a robust cyber security structure, there is another reason behind this decision, and that is Couple of months ago we have seen that Chinese hackers have broken into Indian Navy's Computer System & stolen sensitive data. Later, inquiries revealed that a few naval officers had, against the rules, taken copies of the plans in pen drives from a naval computer, to study. The Chinese-made pen drives allegedly had malwares which transmitted the data back to IP addresses in China once they were used on computers connected to the internet. So the Indian Govt is now very strict about data privacy, so the implemented this new rule. Such bold decisions will surely make security tight and also reduce the probability of data theft & cyber espionage. 

-Source (NDTV)

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Chinese Hackers Breached Telvent's Corporate Network & Gained Control of US Power Grid

Chinese Hackers Breached Telvent's Corporate Network & Gained Control of US Power Grid

Telvent - the maker of power-grid control systems and smart meters and whose software and services remotely administers and monitor large sections of the US energy industry has began warning its customers about a sophisticated hacker attack originated from China. Telvent, a division of Schneider Electric, has admitted hackers breached its corporate network, implanted malicious software and lifted sensitive project files. The raid spanned Telvent systems in the US, Canada and Spain, according to a letter sent to the company's customers this month. Criminals can now study the documents for vulnerabilities in the systems, and potentially devise attacks to sabotage nations' electricity distribution networks. It looks like the hackers managed to get past the company firewall and security systems. In letters sent to customers last week, Telvent Canada said the attack happened on September the 10th.

The attackers installed malicious software and stole project files related to one of its core offerings — OASyS SCADA — a product that helps energy firms mesh older IT assets with more advanced “smart grid” technologies. The company said it was disconnecting the usual data links between clients and affected portions of its internal networks. Meanwhile it is looking for virus or malware files. Telvent has cut data links between at-risk portions of its internal network and clients' systems as a precaution while it probes the breach. Police have been called in to investigate the attack. 

In a report The Register said -Dale Peterson, founder and chief of industrial control security specialist Digital Bond, spelled out the kinds of information present in the lifted documents. "Some project files contain the 'recipe' for the operations of a customer, describing calculations and frequencies at which systems run or when they should be turned on or off," He told press. "If you're going to do a sophisticated attack, you get the project file and study it and decide how you want to modify the pieces of the operation. Then you modify the project file and load it [onto a company's control system], and they're not running what they think they're running." 

While talking about US power grid, we would like to remind you that, earlier researcher have warned about several security holes in power which could even allow an attacker to shutdown the entire system. Soon after  this story made public, National Security Agency (NSA) suspected that hacktivist Anonymous may target the Entire U.S. Power Grid. What ever such massacre did not happen, and Anon said they are not interested to hit power industry. 

Chinese Hackers Behind Some Biggest Cyber Espionage:- 

Couple of months ago we have seen that Chinese hackers have broken into Indian Navy's Computer System & stolen sensitive data. Few months before this hack, Tokyo based computer security firm Trend Micro confirmed that Chinese hackers were responsible for biggest cyber-espionage in India, Japan & Tibet. Also the director of National Security Agency (NSA) General Keith Alexander confirmed that hackers from China was responsible for the serious attack on one of the leading IT security & cyber security company RSA. Also in 2011 China was responsible behind the attack on US Chamber of Commerce, Satellite System of U.S, Nortel Network & so on.  But few days ago National Computer Network Emergency Response Coordination Center of China (CNCERT/CC), China's primary computer security monitoring network claimed that China fallen victim of one of biggest cyber attacks originated from US, Japan & South Korea. We must have to say that this statement is truly irrelevant. Cyber crime investigator have found that China was directly responsible for the hack into Japan's Biggest Defense Contractor Mitsubishi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) & Parliament of Japan. In case of South Korea  more than 13 Million of MapleStory players data has been stolen, there also hackers from China was responsible. 

The above phenomena are clearly indicating that hackers from China was directly linked and responsible for all those biggest cyber espionage. Still it is not clear that whether these cyber criminals are supported by the Govt. or not!!

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The US military Calls Julian Assange & WikiLeaks 'Enemy of State'

The US military Calls Julian Assange & WikiLeaks 'enemy of state'

The US military has designated Julian Assange and WikiLeaks as enemies of the United States - the same legal category as the al-Qaeda terrorist network and the Taliban insurgency. Declassified US Air Force counter-intelligence documents, released under US freedom-of-information laws, reveal that military personnel who contact WikiLeaks or WikiLeaks supporters may be at risk of being charged with "communicating with the enemy", a military crime that carries a maximum sentence of death. The documents, some originally classified "Secret/NoForn" - not releasable to non-US nationals - record a probe by the air force's Office of Special Investigations into a cyber systems analyst based in Britain who allegedly expressed support for WikiLeaks and attended pro-Assange demonstrations in London. The counter-intelligence investigation focused on whether the analyst, who had a top-secret security clearance and access to the US military's Secret Internet Protocol Router network, had disclosed classified or sensitive information to WikiLeaks supporters, described as an "anti-US and/or anti-military group".

The suspected offence was "communicating with the enemy, 104-D", an article in the US Uniform Code of Military Justice that prohibits military personnel from "communicating, corresponding or holding intercourse with the enemy". The analyst's access to classified information was suspended. However, the investigators closed the case without laying charges. The analyst denied leaking information. Mr Assange remains holed up in Ecuador's embassy in London. He was granted diplomatic asylum on the grounds that if extradited to Sweden to be questioned about sexual assault allegations, he would be at risk of extradition to the US to face espionage or conspiracy charges arising from the leaking of hundreds of thousands of secret US military and diplomatic reports.

US Vice-President Joe Biden labelled Mr Assange a "high-tech terrorist" in December 2010 and US congressional leaders have called for him to be charged with espionage. Sarah Palin and Mike Huckabee - both once involved in presidential campaigns - have both urged that Mr Assange be "hunted down".

Mr Assange's US attorney, Michael Ratner, said the designation of WikiLeaks as an "enemy" had serious implications for the WikiLeaks publisher if he were to be extradited to the US, including possible military detention. US Army private Bradley Manning faces a court martial charged with aiding the enemy - identified as al-Qaeda - by transmitting information that, published by WikiLeaks, became available to the enemy. Mr Ratner said that under US law it would most likely have been considered criminal for the US Air Force analyst to communicate classified material to journalists and publishers, but those journalists and publishers would not have been considered the enemy or prosecuted.

"However, in the FOI documents there is no allegation of any actual communication for publication that would aid an enemy of the United States such as al-Qaeda, nor are there allegations that WikiLeaks published such information," he said.

"Almost the entire set of documents is concerned with the analyst's communications with people close to and supporters of Julian Assange and WikiLeaks, with the worry that she would disclose classified documents to Julian Assange and WikiLeaks. "It appears that Julian Assange and WikiLeaks are the 'enemy'. An enemy is dealt with under the laws of war, which could include killing, capturing, detaining without trial, etc."

-Source (Sydney Morning Herald)

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Three Secrets & Full Analysis of Flame's Command & Control Servers Unraveled

Three Secrets & Full Analysis of Flame's Command & Control Servers Unraveled

Flame the next generation cyber weapon which is also known as 'The Super Spy' has already fascinated the cyber-security industry with its sophistication and versatility as a Swiss-Army knife of cyber-spying. Recently security firm Kaspersky lab has published a new report on the sophisticated nation-state sponsored Flame cyber-espionage campaign. During the research, conducted by Kaspersky Lab in partnership with International Telecommunication Union’s cybersecurity executing arm - IMPACT, CERT-Bund/BSI and Symantec, a number of Command and Control (C&C) servers used by Flame’s creators were analyzed in detail. The analysis revealed new, groundbreaking facts about Flame. Particularly, traces of three yet undiscovered malicious programs were found, and it was discovered that the development of the Flame platform dates back to 2006.

Main findings:

• The development of Flame’s Command and Control platform started as early as December 2006.
• The C&C servers were disguised to look like a common Content Management System, to hide the true nature of the project from hosting providers or random investigations.
• The servers were able to receive data from infected machines using four different protocols; only one of them servicing computers attacked with Flame.
• The existence of three additional protocols not used by Flame provides proof that at least three other Flame-related malicious programs were created; their nature is currently unknown.
• One of these Flame-related unknown malicious objects is currently operating in the wild.
• There were signs that the C&C platform was still under development; one communication scheme named “Red Protocol” is mentioned but not yet implemented.
• There is no sign that the Flame C&Cs were used to control other known malware such as Stuxnet or Gauss.

The Flame cyber-espionage campaign was originally discovered in May 2012 by Kaspersky Lab during an investigation initiated by the International Communication Union. Following this discovery, ITU-IMPACT acted swiftly to issue an alert to its 144 member nations accompanied with the appropriate remediation and cleaning procedures. The complexity of the code and confirmed links to developers of Stuxnet all point to the fact that Flame is yet another example of a sophisticated nation-state sponsored cyber operation. Originally it was estimated that Flame started operations in 2010, but the first analysis of its Command and Control infrastructure (covered by at least 80 known domains names) shifted this date two years earlier.

The findings in this particular investigation are based on the analysis of the content retrieved from several C&C servers used by Flame. This information was recovered despite the fact that Flame’s control infrastructure went offline immediately after Kaspersky Lab disclosed the existence of malware. All servers were running the 64-bit version of the Debian operating system, virtualized using OpenVZ containers. Most of the servers’ code was written in the PHP programming language. Flame’s creators used certain measures to make the C&C server look like an ordinary Content Management System, in order to avoid attention from the hosting provider.

Sophisticated encryption methods were utilized so that no one, but the attackers, could obtain the data uploaded from infected machines. The analysis of the scripts used to handle data transmissions to the victims revealed four communication protocols, and only one of them was compatible with Flame. It means that at least three other types of malware used these Command and Control servers. There is enough evidence to prove that at least one Flame-related malware is operating in the wild. These unknown malicious programs are yet to be discovered.

Another important result of the analysis is that the development of the Flame C&C platform started as early as December 2006. There are signs that the platform is still in the process of development, since a new, yet not implemented protocol called the “Red Protocol” was found on the servers. The latest modification of the servers’ code was made on May 18, 2012 by one of the programmers.

“It was problematic for us to estimate the amount of data stolen by Flame, even after the analysis of its Command and Control servers. Flame’s creators are good at covering their tracks. But one mistake of the attackers helped us to discover more data that one server was intended to keep. Based on this we can see that more than five gigabytes of data was uploaded to this particular server a week, from more than 5,000 infected machines. This is certainly an example of cyber espionage conducted on a massive scale,” commented Alexander Gostev, Chief Security Expert, Kaspersky Lab. 

Here we want to remind you that after the episode of 'Duqu'; In the middle of this year The Iranian Computer Emergency Response Team (MAHER) claims to have discovered a new targeted Stuxnet attacking the country's internal system. This newly found Stuxnet have been dubbed Flame (also known as Flamer or Skywiper). Later it was spotted in the wild when software giant Microsoft confirmed that its Windows Server Update Services (WSUS), Windows Update (WU) has been infected by Flame malware. Also in many fields, the name of 'Flame' was on the high node. 

For detailed analysis on Flame's command and control (C&C) servers click Here

-Source (Kaspersky)

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Cyber Crime Cost $8 Billion Loss For India in Last 12 Months

Cyber Crime Cost $8 Billion Loss For India in Last 12 Months While Affecting 42 Million People 

In its annual cybercrime report, security firm Norton has estimated that India has lost more than $8 Billion; in Indian currency around 42,000 Crore in last twelve months. This big consumer cyber espionage has effected more than 42 million of people around the country. In terms of cost, this is a full 18 per cent increase. Against this, the global loss has been pegged at $110 billion. The study further notes that as many as 66 per cent of online adults in India have been a victim of cyber crime. During the past 12 months, as many as 56 per cent of online adults here have experienced cyber crime, over 1,15,000 victims per day, 80 victims per minute and over one every second.

According to the report, the average direct financial cost per victim is $192, which is up 18 per cent over 2011 when it was $163. One key finding this year is that both the cost per victim as well as social and mobile incidents are on the rise due to cybercrime. The study is based on the findings of self-reported experiences of over 13,000 adults across 24 countries, Norton by Symantec said in a statement. 

Globally, every second, 18 adults fall victim to cybercrime, resulting in over 1.5 million cybercrime victims each day. With losses totaling an average of $197 per victim across the world in direct financial costs, in the past 12 months, an estimated 556 million experienced cybercrime, representing 46 per cent of online adults, says the report. Last year, the figure was 45 per cent. "Cybercriminals are changing their tactics to target fast growing mobile platforms and social networks where consumers are less aware of security risks," says Norton by Symantec Asia director and internet safety advocate Effendy Ibrahim said. 

If we compare with other countries who are very much advance in IT then a very nasty truth will come appear, and that is being sound in IT still India is very much week and also careless of cyber security. This carelessness of Indian Govt has already cost maximum damage in terms of finance, defense, privacy and so on. India has already faced big damage in cyber space (both financially & reputation) from native countries like China, Pakistan, where sensitive data of Govt, defense, nuclear & space research has allegedly been stolen by cyber criminals. So far India was dam careless but couple of weeks ago things changed dramatically. And now the Indian Govt is working on a robust cyber security structure, Prime Minister of India Dr. Manmohan Singh himself confirmed that from now on wards India will pay as much attention as possible to make the cyber fence digitally safe and secured. 

-Source (Norton & msn)

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Chinese Hackers Broke Into Indian Navy's Computer System & Stolen Sensitive Data (VOGH Exclusive)

VOGH Exclusive:- Chinese Hackers Broke Into Indian Navy's Computer System & Stolen Sensitive Data

Again cyber criminals from China targeted Indian cyber fence. This time Indian Navy have fallen victim of this cyber espionage. According to sources hackers have broken into sensitive naval computer systems in and around Visakhapatnam, the headquarters of the Eastern Naval Command, and planted malware that relayed confidential data to IP addresses in China.  There is, to date, nothing known about the data thieves. 

Primary investigation revealed that the classified data has been leaked and that the breach may have occurred as a result of the use of USB flash storage on important systems. The Navy and other armed forces store sensitive data on standalone systems, unconnected to the internet and supposedly with no free USB ports where a flash drive could be plugged in.

The malware is reported to have created a hidden folder on the USB flash drives. When the drive was plugged into a Navy system, the malware searched for files based on particular key words it had been configured to look for. These files were then copied to the flash drive where they would remain hidden. When the drive was plugged into a system which was connected to the internet, the malware would then begin to transfer the files to a specific IP address. The extent of the loss is still being ascertained, and officials said it was “premature at this stage” to comment on the sensitivity of the compromised data. But the Navy has completed a Board of Inquiry (BoI) which is believed to have indicted at least six mid-level officers for procedural lapses that led to the security breach. Navy official also said: “An inquiry has been convened and findings of the report are awaited. It needs to be mentioned that there is a constant threat in the cyber domain from inimical hack ers worldwide.”

Couple of months ago Tokyo based computer security firm Trend Micro confirmed that Chinese hackers were responsible for biggest cyber-espionage in India, Japan & Tibet. Also the director of National Security Agency (NSA) General Keith Alexander confirmed that hackers from China was responsible for the serious attack on one of the leading IT security & cyber security company RSA. Also in 2011 China was responsible behind the attack on US Chamber of Commerce, Satellite System of U.S, Nortel Network & so on.  But few days ago National Computer Network Emergency Response Coordination Center of China (CNCERT/CC), China's primary computer security monitoring network claimed that China fallen victim of one of biggest cyber attacks originated from US, Japan & South Korea. We must have to say that this statement is truly irrelevant. Cyber crime investigator have found that China was directly responsible for the hack into Japan's Biggest Defense Contractor Mitsubishi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) & Parliament of Japan. In case of South Korea  more than 13 Million of MapleStory players data has been stolen, there also hackers from China was responsible. 

The above phenomena are clearly indicating that hackers from China was directly linked and responsible for all those biggest cyber espionage. Still it is not clear that whether these cyber criminals are supported by the Govt. or not!!

 

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Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Said -Cyber Crime is As Threatening As al Qaeda

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Said -Cyber Crime is As Threatening As al Qaeda

The number of organized cyber crime has already kisses the sky. Keeping this scenario in mind Janet Napolitano, Secretary of Homeland Security, said that "the greatest threats in actual activity we've seen aimed at the West and the United States has been in the cyber-arena", in addition to "al Qaeda and al Qaeda-related groups" The comments highlight the increasing trend of political sparring and espionage proliferating on the Web. The Flame virus, believed to be driven by a western government, continues to grab headlines, while he also claimed that Google has introduced a tool to warn users of state-sponsored attacks on their accounts. Though gmail completely denied this blame while saying that Govt hired State-Sponsored attackers who ware accessing millions of Gmail accounts illegally. 

Napolitano also said the government is taking steps to be "proactive instead of reactive" in combating the new threats, adding that the worldwide cost of tackling cyber-crime - an estimated $388 billion (£250 billion) - is "already outstripping [the cost of tackling] traditional narcotics". 

A White House plan code-named Olympic Games was launched to infect Iran's nuclear program at the beginning of the Obama administration, though Washington denies the Flame virus, also targeting Iran, was part of the project, after it was found to have existed for a number of years.

-Source (IT Portal)

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#CFP - Call For Papers Nullcon Delhi 2012 (International Security Conference)

#CFP - Call For Papers Nullcon Delhi 2012 (International Security Conference)

After the success of Goa, now its the preparation time for nullcon Delhi to showcase cutting edge security technologies and discuss new attack vectors and security threats among the Corporate world and the Government sector. The event brings together thought leaders, Corporates, Government and security professionals all under one roof. Being the official media partner, Team Voiceofgreyhat wishes all the very best for Nullcon Delhi 2012.

Categories:-

The talk time duration includes time for questions and answers (5-10 minutes).

1. Research Category (40 mins - 1 hr) - is a deep knowledge technical track that includes new research, tools, vulnerabilities, zero days or exploits.
   
2. Technical Category (30 mins - 1 hr) - comprises of known security issues, case studies, twist to an existing research, tool, vulnerability, exploit or research-in-progress. Although this track is fairly technical, it covers known techniques and analysis and is specially created for security professionals who are not too much into new research, are auditors, management professionals and newbies.
   
3. Desi Jugaad (1 hr) - is our signature research category talk and includes any local Indian/Asian hacks.

Submission Topics:-

1. One of the topics of interest to us is Desi Jugaad(Local Indian/Asian Hack) and has a separate track of its own. Submissions can be any kind of local hacks that you have worked on (hints: electronic/mechanical meters, automobile hacking, Hardware, mobile phones, lock-picking, bypassing procedures and processes, etc. Be creative!)
   
2. The topics pertaining to security and hacking in the following domains(but not limited to):
• Hardware Hacking(ex: RFID, Magnetic Strips, Card Readers, Mobile Devices, Electronic Devices)
• Tools/exploits/Zero-days (noncommercial)
• Programming/Software Development security and weaknesses
• Network vulnerabilities.
• Information Warfare, cyber espionage, cyber crime, cyber laws
• Malware, Botnets
• Web attacks and application hacking
• New attack vectors
• Mobile malware, vulnerabilities, exploits, VOIP and Telecom
• Virtualization security, hacking VMs, breaking out of VMS etc
• Cloud security, threats and exploitation
• Critical Infrastructure
• Satellite hacking
• Forensics

Submission Format:-

Email the paper to : cfp@nullcon.net
The subject should be : CFP Delhi 2012 <Paper Title>
Email Body :

1. Name
2. Handle
3. Track (& Time required in case of General/Business track)
4. Paper Title
5. Country(and City) of residence
6. Organization and Designation
7. Contact Number
8. Have you presented or submitted this paper at any other conference(s) or magazine(s)?
   Yes, No. If yes, where? and how this submission is different from the previous ones. Note that new research talks already given elsewhere or are due to be given elsewhere prior to nullcon will be considered as Technical category talks unless they consist of cutting edge and ground breaking technology, which is at the judgment of the review committee.
9. Are you releasing an open source tool?
   Yes/No. (If yes, please include the source code for review)
10. Are you releasing an exploit?
    Yes/No. (If yes, please include the source and vulnerability details for review)
11. Are you releasing a new vulnerability/Zero-day?
    Yes/No. (If yes, please send us the details, including reproduction procedure, for review)
12. Why do you think your paper is different/innovative (for all tracks) and how does it qualify as new work/research(for Research track only)?
13. Are there any live demonstrations (These earn you good points during review)?
    Yes/No. (If Yes, how many? Also please explain each demo)
14. Brief Profile ( less than 500 Words)
15. Paper Abstract - Please provide detailed working or your research/work. The more details you provide the better it is for the reviewers. Please keep the abstract to the point. Please do not try to hide the technical details or say “I can't disclose it till bla bla” as it does not help the reviewers in any way and may give your paper a low score because of insufficient information available in the abstract.
16. Your high resolution photo (attached)

Important Dates:-

CFP Opens: 25^th April 2012
1st round of Speaker list Online: 10^th June 2012
CFP Closing Date: 30^th June 2012
Final speakers List online: 10^th July 2012
Conference Dates: 26^th-29^th September 2012 

For Detailed Information Click Here 

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Chinese Hackers Were Responsible For Cyber-Espionage In India, Japan & Tibet

Chinese Hackers Were Responsible For Cyber-Espionage In India, Japan & Tibet  

Tokyo based computer security firm Trend Micro confirmed that a breach of computers belonging to companies in Japan and India and to Tibetan activists has been linked to a former graduate student at a Chinese university  putting a face on the persistent espionage by Chinese hackers against foreign companies and groups. Chinese hackers have been linked to a cyber-espionage campaign that planted data-gathering malware in a total of 233 computers of Tibetan activists and military and industrial entities in Japan and India. The so-called "Luckycat" campaign has been active since at least June 2011 and has been linked to 90 attacks that use malware tailored for each victim. The hackers targeted military research institutions and shipping companies in India; energy, engineering and aerospace entities in China and 30 computers of Tibetan activists. Trend Micro researchers traced the attacks to an e-mail address used to register a command-and-control server. They also mapped the address to a Chinese instant messaging screen name and from there to an online alias, "scuhkr." The espionage has been going on for at least 10 months and is continuing. The attacks are technically similar to a spy operation known as the Shadow Network, which since 2009 has targeted the Indian government and also pilfered a year's worth of the Dalai Lama's personal e-mails. 

Few days ago the director of National Security Agency (NSA) General Keith Alexander confirmed that hackers from China was responsible for the serious attack on one of the leading IT security & cyber security company RSA. Also in 2011 China was responsible behind the attack on US Chamber of Commerce, Satellite System of U.S, Nortel Network & so on.  But few days ago National Computer Network Emergency Response Coordination Center of China (CNCERT/CC), China's primary computer security monitoring network claimed that China fallen victim of one of biggest cyber attacks originated from US, Japan & South Korea. We must have to say that this statement is truly irrelevant. Cyber crime investigator have found that China was directly responsible for the hack into Japan's Biggest Defense Contractor Mitsubishi, Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) & Parliament of Japan. In case of South Korea  more than 13 Million of MapleStory players data has been stolen, there also hackers from China was responsible. Now this report Trend Micro again proves China has became one of the biggest cyber threat in front of the whole world. The past activities are clearly indicating that hackers from China was directly linked and responsible for all those biggest cyber espionage. Still it is not clear that whether these cyber criminals are supported by the Govt. or not!!

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Nortel Network Breached By Chinese Hackers, More Than 10 Years Data Stolen

Nortel Network Breached By Chinese Hackers, More Than 10 Years Data Stolen

Nortel Networks- the Giant telecommunication farm who have wide access to have corporate computer network has been breached by Chinese hackers. While investigation it has been found that the hackers stolen seven passwords from the company's top executives - including the CEO - which granted them widespread access to the entire Nortel network. According to Brian Shields, a former 19-year Nortel veteran who led an internal investigation- China—penetrated Nortel's computers at least as far back as 2000 and over the years downloaded technical papers, research-and-development reports, business plans, employee emails and other documents. Nortel's breach offers a rare level of detail about a type of international corporate espionage that is of growing concern to U.S. officials. A U.S. Nortel responded by changing affected passwords, but wound down an internal investigation into the breach after six months due to a lack of progress. Mike Zafirovski, who was Nortel's CEO between 2005-2009 said "we did not believe it was a real issue". Though the China government has denied allegations of cyberspying. When asked about Nortel specifically, the Chinese embassy in Washington issued a statement saying in part that "cyber attacks are transnational and anonymous" and shouldn't be assumed to originate in China "without thorough investigation and hard evidence."

-Source (wsg & NS)

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Chinese Hackers Targeted 7 Different Law Firms & Stolen 40 Billion Dollar

Chinese Hackers Targeted 7 Different Law Firms Stolen 40 Billion Dollar & Sensitive Data

Again hackers from China strikes again. Few months ago US Chamber of Commerce faced massive attack and investigator suspected that Chinese hackers ware behind this one. This time the target was world’s largest potash producer by an Australian mining giant zeroed in on offices on Toronto’s Bay Street, home of the Canadian law firm. Experts said that hackers installed back door on the system and they ware looking to derail the $40 billion acquisition. 

Over a few months beginning in September 2010, the hackers rifled one secure computer network after the next, eventually hitting seven different law firms as well as Canada’s Finance Ministry and the Treasury Board, according to Daniel Tobok, president of Toronto-based Digital Wyzdom. His cyber security company was hired by the law firms to assist in the probe. The investigation linked the intrusions to a Chinese effort to scuttle the takeover of Potash Corp. of Saskatchewan Inc. by BHP Billiton Ltd. as part of the global competition for natural resources, Tobok said. Such stolen data can be worth tens of millions of dollars and give the party who possesses it an unfair advantage in deal negotiations, he said.
Though the deal eventually fell apart for unrelated reasons, the incident illustrates the vulnerability of law firms. They are increasingly threatened with a loss of client business if they can’t show improved security as such attacks continue to escalate. Stephen Surdu, vice president of professional services at Mandiant Corp., a cybersecurity firm that tracks industrial espionage, compared the risk of hacking in the mergers and acquisition arena to gambling. “You’re playing poker, and there’s a mirror over the other guy’s shoulder,” Surdu said. 

-Source (Bloomberg)

 

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PandaLabs Exclusive Report: Privacy Violations Will Be The Biggest Security Threat in 2012

Panda Security anti-malware laboratory, today announced its predictions for top security trends to watch for in the coming year. Cyber-espionage, along with privacy violations and social networking attacks facilitated by the increased use of mobile and tablet devices, will be the source of increased security threats over the coming months.

Cyber-espionage targeting companies and government agencies around the world will dominate corporate and national information security landscapes, with the integrity of classified and other protected information on the line. Trojans are expected to be the weapon of choice for hackers focused on these highly-sensitive targets.

According to Luis Corrons, technical director of PandaLabs, “We live in a world where all information is in digital form and is easily accessible if you know how. Today’s spies no longer need to infiltrate a building to steal information. As long as they have the necessary computer skills, they can wreak havoc and access even the best-kept secrets of organizations without ever leaving their homes.”

Consumers will continue to be targeted by cyber-criminals as they find ever more sophisticated ways to target social media sites for stealing personal data. Social engineering techniques exploiting users’ naïveté have become the weapon of choice for hackers targeting personally-identifiable information. “Social networking sites provide a space where users feel safe as they interact with friends and family. The problem is that attackers are creating malware that takes advantage of that false sense of security to spread their creations,” says Corrons. “It is very easy for cyber-criminals to trick users with generic messages like ‘Look, you’re on this video,’ for example. Sometimes, curiosity can be our own worst enemy.”

Summary of what PandaLabs predicts as the major security trends of 2012:-

• Mobile Malware:- A year ago, PandaLabs predicted a surge in cyber attacks on mobile phones, and the fact that Android has become the number one mobile target for cyber-crooks in 2011 confirms that prediction. That trend will continue in 2012, with a new focus on mobile payment methods using Near-Field Communications (NFC) as these applications become increasingly popular.

• Malware for Tablets:- Since tablets share the same operating system as smartphones, they are likely be targeted by the same malware. In addition, tablets might draw a special interest from cyber-crooks since people are using them for an increasing number of activities and are more likely to store sensitive data.

• Mac Malware:- As the market share of Mac users continues to grow, the number of threats will grow as well. Fortunately, Mac users are now more aware that they are not immune to malware attacks and are increasingly using antivirus programs to protect themselves. The number of malware specimens for Mac will continue to grow in 2012, although still at a slower rate than for PCs.

• PC Malware:- PC malware has grown exponentially over the past few years, and everything indicates that the trend will continue in 2012. Trojans, designed to sit silently on users’ computers, stealing information and transmitting it back to their handlers will continue to be cyber-crooks’ weapon of choice; 75 percent of new malware strains in 2011 were Trojans.

• SMBs Under Attack:- Financial institutions are fairly well protected these days against malware. But smaller businesses are easier and cheaper targets to attack, and their customer databases can be a real treasure trove for hackers, particularly if credit card and other financial data is stored “in the clear”. Unfortunately, many small to medium-sized companies do not have dedicated security teams, which makes them much more vulnerable.

• Windows 8:- While not scheduled until November 2012, the anticipated next version of Microsoft’s operating system will offer cyber-crooks new opportunities to create malicious software. Windows 8 will allow users to develop malware applications for virtually any device (PCs, tablets and smartphones) running this platform, although this will likely not take place until 2013.

Corrons concludes, “The malware game continues. As new technologies advance, cyber-crooks develop new modes of attack, often by simply adapting old techniques to the new platforms – which is an area software vendors need to pay attention to. In the end, though, it’s users’ false sense of security that is the hacker’s best friend.”

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Hackers May Ruin The World Oil Supply System

In an exclusive report William Hardy siad Cyber attacks could wreck world oil supply. Hackers are bombarding the world's computer controlled energy sector, conducting industrial espionage and threatening potential global havoc through oil supply disruption. Oil company executives warned that attacks were becoming more frequent and more carefully planned. 

"If anybody gets into the area where you can control opening and closing of valves, or release valves, you can imagine what happens," said Ludolf Luehmann, an IT manager at Shell Europe's biggest company .

"It will cost lives and it will cost production, it will cost money, cause fires and cause loss of containment, environmental damage - huge, huge damage," he told the World Petroleum Congress in Doha.

Computers control nearly all the world's energy production and distribution in systems that are increasingly vulnerable to cyber attacks that could put cutting-edge fuel production technology in rival company hands. "We see an increasing number of attacks on our IT systems and information and there are various motivations behind it - criminal and commercial," said Luehmann. "We see an increasing number of attacks with clear commercial interests, focusing on research and development, to gain the competitive advantage." He said the Stuxnet computer worm discovered in 2010, the first found that was specifically designed to subvert industrial systems, changed the world of international oil companies because it was the first visible attack to have a significant impact on process control. But the determination and stamina shown by hackers when they attack industrial systems and companies has now stepped up a gear, and there has been a surge in multi-pronged attacks to break into specific operation systems within producers, he said. "Cyber crime is a huge issue. It's not restricted to one company or another it's really broad and it is ongoing," said Dennis Painchaud, director of International Government Relations at Canada's Nexen Inc. "It is a very significant risk to our business."

"It's something that we have to stay on top of every day. It is a risk that is only going to grow and is probably one of the preeminent risks that we face today and will continue to face for some time."

Luehmann said hackers were increasingly staging attack over long periods, silently collecting information over weeks or months before attacking specific targets within company operations with the information they have collected over a long period. "It's a new dimension of attacks that we see in Shell," he said.

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Obama Administration Is Implementing Tighter Penalties For Cybercrimes

The Obama administration is seeking tougher sentences for people who are found guilty of hacking or other digital offenses, two officials said Wednesday.  

Associate Deputy Attorney General James Baker and Secret Service Deputy Special Agent in Charge Pablo Martinez said the maximum sentences for cyber crimes have failed to keep pace with the severity of the threats.  

Martinez said hackers are often members of sophisticated criminal networks.

"Secret Service investigations have shown that complex and sophisticated electronic crimes are rarely perpetrated by a lone individual," Martinez said.

"Online criminals organize in networks, often with defined roles for participants, in order to manage and perpetuate ongoing criminal enterprises dedicated to stealing commercial data and selling it for profit," he said.

Baker and Martinez appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee to discuss the portion of the White House's cybersecurity legislative proposal that calls for stiffer penalties for cyber crimes as part of an update to the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA).

The administration argues the Racketeering Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act should be updated to make CFAA offenses subject to its terms. That law is used to prosecute organized crime. 

Baker said hacking has increasingly become a tool of choice for crimes like identity theft, extortion and corporate espionage.

"As computer technology has evolved, it has become a key tool of organized crime," Baker said. "Many of these criminal organizations are similarly tied to traditional Asian and Eastern European organized crime organizations."

The administration's proposal also calls for a national data breach standard to replace the current patchwork of state laws. Sen. Al Franken (D-Minn.) expressed concern that the proposed 60-day window for companies to notify customers their data has been breached would be too long, but Baker said the administration is willing to work with Congress on the issue. Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) shifted the conversation to the portion of the White House plan dealing with protecting critical private sector networks from outside attacks.

Baker said the White House plan does not include any criminal or civil provisions for forcing companies to comply with Department of Homeland Security cyber security standards. "The idea was to create a lighter touch ... to build incentives into the system," Baker said.

Experts have warned that without some sort of enforcement mechanism companies will not take the necessary security precautions. Blumenthal echoed that stance, suggesting the administration "consider some kind of stick as well as a carrot." Industry has argued that resources are the main limitation and argued for incentives such as liability protection for firms that experience attacks. 

But Baker expressed agreement with Blumenthal and said the current range of incentives built into the system, such as the loss of investor trust, stock market value and privileged corporate data has not been enough to convince companies to take adequate security measures.

-News Source (The HILL, CCFA, HLS)

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