Iran-backed hackers infiltrated Navy computers – US officials
Published time: September 27, 2013 22:19
Reuters / David McNew
US officials have accused Iran of recently hacking unclassified Navy computers. If the allegations prove true, the incident would be one of the most serious cyberintrusions of American computer systems by the Islamic Republic.
The officials said hackers working for the Iranian government or
a proxy group with approval from Iranian leaders are responsible
for penetrating the unclassified Navy computer network.
US officials said they do not believe information of significant
value was lifted, though the potency of such a cyberattack that
accessed military data set off alarms at the Pentagon, the Wall
Street Journal reported.
Iran’s cyber abilities have increased gradually, gaining further
recognition from the US military, according to anonymous
officials.
“Their ability to also play in this [cyber] sandbox compounds
that concern,” a US official said.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of
Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey were briefed on the infiltration and
how the Pentagon is boosting its network strength. Congress has
also been briefed on the hack, officials said.
Previous Iran-backed hacks and surveillance efforts have gone
after US banks and energy industry computer networks.
The allegations occur as the US and Iranian governments have
increased negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. US President
Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on Friday, after both leaders delivered
speeches this week before the United Nations General Assembly in
New York.
Iranian officials did not return requests for comment, the WSJ
reported.
The US led a cyberattack — dubbed ‘Olympic Games’
— on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities during the Bush
and the Obama administrations, the New York Times reported last
July. The program included a collaboration with Israeli hackers
to develop the Stuxnet computer worm, which was used to infect
Iranian computer networks and damage hundreds of centrifuges at
the Natanz enrichment facility.
Copyright: RT
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