Current Events and Links
Notice: Sources often remove their news links after a period of time. Some of them move older stories to a
subscription-only section. Even if the story is no longer on line, our summary will still be available on this
page.
Please also notice that translated words may be spelled in different ways by different sources (eg.
Hezbollah; Hizballah. etc.).
See more recent articles: After December 31, 2013
Iran’s cyber chief killed in ‘internal dispute,’ Israel speculates
Oct. 3, 2013 - The head of Iran's Cyber War Headquarters, Mojtaba Ahmadi, was recently found dead northwest of Tehran. He had been
shot in the heart at close range. A representative of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said he had died in a “horrific incident,” but he ruled out
assassination.
The Iranian government has accused Israel of several recent assassinations, including that of Mostafa Ahmadi-Roshan and four other
nuclear scientists, and the head of the country’s ballistic missiles program.
- Source: Times of Israel
Syria Facing U.S. Cyber Attacks in Upcoming Strikes
Sept. 3, 2013 - During the anticipated military strike on Syria for its use of chemical warfare the U.S. will test the effectiveness of
its new cyber warfare capabilities.
Targets of cyber attacks likely will include electronic command and control systems used by the Syrian military forces, air defense computers,
and other military communications.
Cyber attacks will presumably disable Syria's sophisticated air defense system.
- Source: Free Beacon
Confidential report lists U.S. weapons system designs compromised by Chinese cyberspies
May 28, 2013 - Chinese cyberspies have obtained secret U.S. technology for more than two dozen major weapons systems. The result could
be the weakening of U.S. military advantage in Asia, Europe and the Persian Gulf.
- The designs included those for the advanced Patriot missile system, known as PAC-3; an Army system for shooting down ballistic
missiles, known as the Terminal High Altitude Area Defense, or THAAD; and the Navy’s Aegis ballistic-missile defense system.
- Source: Washington Post
Report: Wave of cyber attacks on US originating in Iran
May 25, 2013 - US investigators say that a wave of computer attacks on US corporations has been going on for several months. They are
coming from Iran, and the goal is not espionage but sabotage.
- Several power utilities say they face a barrage of cyber attacks on their critical systems, a report by two Democratic lawmakers found,
echoing warnings from the Obama administration that foreign hackers were trying to bring down the US power grid.
- Source: Jerusalem Post
NSA data center front and center in debate over liberty, security and privacy
Apr. 14, 2013 - A massive new Data Center for the National Security Agency is nearing completion near Salt Lake City. Reporters
tried to get specifics about the installation. When NSA General Keith Alexander was asked if the facility will hold data on U.S. citizens, the
answer was "no."
- Some published reports suggest it could hold 5 zettabytes of data. (Just one zettabyte is the equivalent of about 62
billion stacked iPhones 5's-- that stretches past the moon.
They have said that the center's major focus will be on cyber security. However, NSA whistleblower Bill Binney worries that the government's
new capacity to collect, store and analyze data could be abused. He said, "Now it's a question of if we get the wrong person in office."
- Source: Fox
US takes swipe at China following hacking accusations
Mar. 28, 2013 - The growing threat of widespread hacking of business and government computers by the Chinese has prompted the
U.S. take action by barring the purchase of information technology made by companies linked to China's government. The legislation was buried
in a spending bill signed by President Barack Obama on Tuesday.
- Source: Fox
- zetta= One Sextillion (10 to the 21st power).
'Biggest cyber-attack in history' slows down internet worldwide after quarrel between web-hosting company and anti-spam group
Mar. 28, 2013 - An Internet company called Spamhous publishes lists of spammers so that Email administrators can block the offenders. One
or more of the spammers started such a massive attack against Spamhous that it actually slowed down Internet traffic all over the world. When one of
these attacks occurs, the perpetrator activates tens of thousands of computers, who owners are not even aware that their computer is involved. These
slave computers send repeated messages to the target computer network, asking for access. The target is overwhelmed by the traffic. the phenomenon
is called a distributed denial of service, or DDoS.
- Source: Independent - UK
South Korean banks and media report computer network crash, causing speculation of North Korea cyberattack
Mar. 20, 2013 - Computer systems at major South Korean banks and top TV broadcasters crashed simultaneously today.
- Police and South Korean officials couldn't immediately determine responsibility and North Korea's state media made no immediate comments
on the shutdown. But some experts suspected a cyberattack orchestrated by Pyongyang.
- Source: Fox
- South Korea network attack 'a computer virus' - BBC
Cyber-attacks a bigger threat than Al Qaeda, officials say
Mar. 13, 2013 -
- Cyber-attacks and cyber-espionage pose a greater potential danger to U.S. national security than Al Qaeda and other militants that
have dominated America's global focus since Sept. 11, 2001, the nation's top intelligence officials said Tuesday.
The U.S. intelligence community does an annual review of worldwide threats. Now, for the first time, computer-launched foreign assaults on U.S.
infrastructure is ranked higher than terrorism, transnational organized crime, or proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
- Source: LA Times
Pentagon acknowledges Chinese cyberthreat
Feb. 19, 2013 -
- Internet security company Mandiant says in a new report it traced 141 major hacking attempts to a People's Liberation Army building
in Shanghai, 115 of which targeted U.S. companies or organizations.
- Source: Fox
See articles before January 1, 2013
|
Notice: Ads are not necessarily endorsed by Prophecy Central.
|