The Latest from National Terror Alert Response Center

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• Russian Hackers Stole U.S. IDs And Software Tools
  for Attacks
  
  
• Study Warns of Cyberwarfare During Military
  Conflicts
  
  
• India PM Warns of Credible Terror Threat From
  Pakistan
  
  
• Deptartment Homeland Security Plans New
  Cybersecurity Wiki
  
  
• Al-Qaeda Threatens Spectacular Attacks On UK
  
  
  
• Largest Corporate Identity Theft Case in
  History

Russian Hackers Stole U.S. IDs And Software Tools for Attacks Posted: 17 Aug 2009 07:52 PM PDT Russian hackers hijacked American identities and U.S. software tools and used them in an attack on Georgian government Web sites during the war between Russia and Georgia last year, according to new research to be released Monday by a nonprofit U.S. group. In addition to refashioning common Microsoft Corp. software into a cyber-weapon, hackers collaborated on popular U.S.-based social-networking sites, including Twitter and Facebook Inc., to coordinate attacks on Georgian sites, the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit found. While the cyberattacks on Georgia were examined shortly after the events last year, these U.S. connections weren’t previously known. The research shows how cyber-warfare has outpaced military and international agreements, which don’t take into account the possibility of American resources and civilian technology being turned into weapons. Identity theft, social networking, and modifying commercial software are all common means of attack, but combining them elevates the attack method to a new level, said Amit Yoran, a former cybersecurity chief at the Department of Homeland Security. “Each one of these things by itself is not all that new, but this combines them in ways we just haven’t seen before. Read Full Article This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Russian Hackers Stole U.S. IDs And Software Tools for Attacks

Study Warns of Cyberwarfare During Military Conflicts Posted: 17 Aug 2009 07:46 PM PDT An independent research group predicts that cyberwarfare will accompany future military conflicts and is recommending international action to blunt its impact. The nonprofit U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit studied the cybertactics used against the country of Georgia during its military conflict with Russia last year. Cyberattacks in August 2008 shut down the Web sites of crucial Georgian government agencies, the media and banks. “The Russians have developed a model here that is very effective,” said Scott Borg, director of US-CCU. “We can expect to see the Russians use it in the future, and other countries as well.” Because of the sensitive nature of much of the information, the full 100-page report is being released only to U.S. government officials and selected cybersecurity professionals. CNN was provided a nine-page summary. The study concludes that the cyberattacks against Georgian targets were carried out by civilians, many of them recruited via social networking forums devoted to dating, hobbies and politics. “There was a large-scale collaboration on these forums,” said US-CCU’s chief technical officer, John Bumgarner. “They were used to recruit potential actors to launch attacks, to collaborate on what types of attacks worked and what types of attacks didn’t work. They were used to collaborate on how to bypass security controls and share attack codes.” As a result, Borg said, Russian sympathizers who were not hackers, and who didn’t even know much about computers, could participate. Read Full Article This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Study Warns of Cyberwarfare During Military Conflicts

India PM Warns of Credible Terror Threat From Pakistan Posted: 17 Aug 2009 07:27 PM PDT Alarmed by evidence that Pakistan-based terror groups were plotting fresh attacks, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Monday sounded an alert about the continuing threat. “There is credible information about ongoing plans of terrorists in Pakistan to carry out fresh attacks. The area of operation of these terrorists today extends far beyond the confines of Jammu and Kashmir and covers all parts of our country,” Singh said while addressing a meeting of chief ministers on internal security in the capital. The PM did not name any specific group. Sources, however, said the warning was based on intercepts of chatter among terrorist leaders, including 26/11 accused Lashkar operatives Zaki-ur Rahman Lakhvi, Zarar Shah and Abu al Qama. The intercepts pointed to a plot for another massive terror attack via sea route, but this time involving local Lashkar modules, not Pakistani jihadis. The conspiracy has not ripened yet because of the disarray among Lashkar’s local collaborators due to the crackdown on Indian Mujahideen. via PM sounds terror alert: Credible threat from Pak – India – NEWS – The Times of India. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. India PM Warns of Credible Terror Threat From Pakistan

Deptartment Homeland Security Plans New Cybersecurity Wiki Posted: 17 Aug 2009 03:35 PM PDT The Homeland Security Department plans to develop a “cyber ops wiki” that agencies can use to improve collaboration on cybersecurity efforts, according to a notice from the department. The wiki will be used by DHS’ National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) and the six other federal cybersecurity centers as a collaboration tool and a way to develop improved situational awareness, communication and information sharing, DHS said in a notice published on Aug. 11 on the Federal Business Opportunities Web site. Amy Kudwa, a DHS spokeswoman, said “NCSC is engaging industry expertise to develop a Web 2.0/3.0-enabled collaboration platform — this is an important piece of the larger NCSC vision of meaningful collaboration across government.” DHS’ NCSC was established during the George W. Bush administration to coordinate cybersecurity efforts across the government. Phil Reitinger, DHS’ deputy undersecretary of the department’s National Protection and Programs Directorate now leads the center. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Deptartment Homeland Security Plans New Cybersecurity Wiki

Al-Qaeda Threatens Spectacular Attacks On UK Posted: 17 Aug 2009 01:43 PM PDT In an astounding revelation, Al-Qaeda extremists have claimed that home-grown terrorists are plotting to attack targets in Britain. According to reports, in an internet magazine read by thousands of Islamic extremists Al-Qaeda has labeled Britain and Europe as a bigger enemy than the United States. It further says that the strikes are being planned by terrorists living in Britain and others overseas, and warns of “spectacular attacks”, ‘The Sun’ reports. The site is promoted by supporters of deported hate preacher Abdullah al-Faisal who was booted out of Britain after serving a jail sentence for being found guilty of three charges of soliciting the murder of Jews, Americans, and Hindus, and two charges of using threatening words to stir up racial hatred. Source Rusty has more over at Jawa. This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Al-Qaeda Threatens Spectacular Attacks On UK

Largest Corporate Identity Theft Case in History Posted: 17 Aug 2009 12:04 PM PDT Breaking - Three men have been indicted in New Jersey in an identity theft case that the Justice Department is labeling as the largest in history. Authorities say more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen in a corporate data breach involving five different companies. Developing – Read More Update: Three Indicted in Major Hacking Case Albert Gonzalez, 28 years old, of Miami, and two unnamed co-conspirators were charged with conspiracy and conspiracy to engage in wire fraud and accused of using a sophisticated hacking technique, which tries to find a way around a computer network’s firewall to steal credit- and debit-card information. More Among the corporate victims named in the indictment are Heartland Payment Systems Inc., a New Jersey-based card-payment processor; 7-Eleven Inc., a Texas-based nationwide convenience store chain; and Hannaford Brothers Co., a Maine-based supermarket chain. A data breach allegedly led by Mr. Gonzalez also siphoned off more than 40 million credit-card numbers from TJX Cos. and others, costing TJX $200 million. Read Article This story comes to us via Homeland Security - National Terror Alert. National Terror Alert is America's trusted source for homeland security news and information. Largest Corporate Identity Theft Case in History

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