Flash!

This is coolbert:

From the Chicago Tribune yesterday:

“Cyber attack has Pentagon worried”

“Russia eyed in hit on Defense networks”

“WASHINGTON - - Senior military leaders took the exceptional step of briefing President George W. Bush last week on a severe and widespread electronic attack on Defense Department computers that may have originated in Russia”

“Defense official would not describe the extent of damage inflicted on military networks. But they said the attack struck hard at networks within U.S. Central Command . . . The attack also penetrated at least one highly protected classified network.”

Flash memory sticks [plug into your USB port] are the culprits in this case? Various troops of all ranks have these sticks and are using them. Allowing malware [virus, Trojan, etc.] to be passed without knowing, from one computer or network to another, inadvertently and insidiously?

This IS NOT your average-run-of-the-mill hacker attack? Done with a clever subtlety that has the fingerprints of a hostile foreign power?

And - - also able to penetrate “one highly protected classified network”?

That for one thing would indicate malware spread by a flash memory stick? Networks carrying classified information [“highly protected”] would normally be isolated and secured, NOT tied to and accessible from other unclassified networks. Military compute networks by definition are always NOT unclassified. ALWAYS considered to be proprietary, FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY at the least of classifications, safeguards, accessibility and permissions?

A HOSTILE FOREIGN POWER PENETRATING AND INFECTING U.S. MILITARY COMPUTERS WITH MALWARE CAN BE SAID TO HAVE COMMITTED AN ACT OF WAR??!!

Back in the mid-1970’s, it was reputed that Soviet mobile high-power ground based lasers had been able to “blind” American satellites whose function [infra-red detection] was to provide early warning of Soviet missile launching. President Carter allegedly warned the Soviet leadership that a repetition of such “doings” would be considered an act of war - - with serious consequences to follow!!

We will see the same resolve here if the culprit is positively identified? Assuming it is a hostile foreign power.

coolbert.