German space centre endures cyber attack Germany’s space research centre in Cologne has been the victim of a co-ordinated and covert targeted attack carried out by state-sponsored hackers, according to a Der Spiegel report. The paper's report says that last Sunday the German Aerospace Centre (DLR) contacted the National Cyber Defence Centre in Bonn after it found …
Puzzling how anyone at this stage could determine that these attacks are "state sponsored". Obviously there'd be a lively global trade in information which hackers and intelligence agents from all over the world might be involved in. But to scream "state sponsored" without some Snowden-scale leaking -- would likely be a tad primature.
The "state sponsored" description is used to mean that the development effort, along with testing and insertion into the target would be so expensive as to require a very rich sponsor, i.e a state level backer.
I suppose that it's possible for a major banking trojan development group or a drugs cartel to finance this level of operation but it seems unlikely.
...Given the United States’ pre-eminent global position in space exploration, it’s unlikely but not impossible that it would resort to such tactics...
... you STAY pre-eminent..?
(Actually, what's more likely is that NSA is suffering a lot of budget hits internally - the Treasury won't have liked all the problems NSA have been causing. And so NSA has, of its own bat, started a push to help other parts of government who might support it and who might need budget. NASA would be a good example. I can easily imagine a meeting between NASA and NSA chiefs where NSA say: "You know, if you support our bid for another $100bn, we might be able to provide some satellite guidance designs...")
Who am I kidding? What's MUCH more likely is that, having got the satellite guidance designs, NSA go to Treasury and say "You know that request of NASA's for $100bn to develop satellite guidance designs? Well, here is a complete German design. Can we have their $100bn now?"...
Signed,
an ex-government employee...
That there are several other countries who would benefit from acquiring space technology.
The Norks for starters - they certainly have form, look at what happened with the South Korean malware infestation last year.
Other countries with orbital capabilities include Japan (whose reliability record in this area is woeful), India (quite sucessful, but needing more tech) , Brazil (when they're not blowing up their people on the pad), Israel (I wouldn't put anything past this lot, they're madder than a box of frogs) and Iran (Whose rhetoric is mostly along the lines of a threatened blowfish)
Of that list the only ones I'd discount as a possible state-sponsored source would be Japan, but my money's on the Norks.
"The news set alarm bells ringing in Berlin as DLR not only researches space and aeronautics systems but also “armament and rocket technologies”."
This also set alarm bells ringing in parts of London: I think we always knew there was some reason the DLR manages to be more efficient or at least less cr*p than some of the alternatives, but armament research isn't on the list of things that would seem obvious .. (unlike some very obvious things such as being a hacker from absolutely anywhere in the world and trying to leave China-shaped suspicious markings behind, knowing that certain parts of the commentariat will blame the NSA anyway, no matter what the truth, and others will find China a perfectly credible suspect)
Oh well, back out in to the sunshine (via the arms and space research company) ...
Come over here and defend that stinkin operating system. Why on earth, and in space, would any one with a scientific inkling use effing Windows?
The've have won. They've infected the world with illogicality to such a degree that a scientific organisation is using an OS made for business men. If only I could enjoy this comedy while I wait for the humans to become extinct.
And why do you assume that they use Windows?
No where in the reg article or in the original Spiegel article does in mention an OS. It mentions Malware and trojans, any OS can be susceptible to malware and trojans.
Assuming that one OS is secure and another is not is a great way of demonstrating your complete ignorance of computer security.
Ah yes, we have a sucker ladies and gentlemen. How do know a MS applologetic?
Well dear little Guppy, lets take a look at what the article says, shall we?
"The attack was “co-ordinated and systematic” with some of the Trojans used designed to self-destruct on discovery, while other malware lay silent for several months before being activated, according to the report."
Would you like to now argue the fact that just because it seems like they are using Windows does not mean that they are using Windows? You MS pride is shameful.
"The attack was “co-ordinated and systematic” with some of the Trojans used designed to self-destruct on discovery, while other malware lay silent for several months before being activated, according to the report."Would you like to now argue the fact that just because it seems like they are using Windows does not mean that they are using Windows?
*What* ???
I think we need an award for "non sequitur of the week"...
Vic.
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