Russian Hackers Suspected in Cyberattack Causing Huge Ukraine Blackout

Experts say they have established the world’s first known case of a cyberattack on a power grid, which cut power to more than 600,000 homes in Ukraine in late December. U.S. intelligence agencies and cybersecurity experts are looking to Russia as the likely source of the attack.

Most Federal Agencies Wouldn’t Be Able to Bounce Back from a Sony Hack

If you’ve been following Global Geopolitics for a while, you will have come to the realization long ago that America is prepared for absolutely nothing.

The unintelligent community doesn’t even know what hit them until it’s too late. The political ‘leadership’ conducts hearings and continues to make warnings on taking action and implementing plans, but it never comes to fruition. The public for the most part doesn’t care so long as the shopping malls still remain open so they can scavenge like cockroaches through cheap plastic goods made in China.

America is in freefall in so many ways, the sword is coming to it (see also HERE), and no one except for a handful of people are really paying attention – and then a small fraction of that same handful dare to raise awareness like is done here.

God help America.

 

A file-wiping attack such as the Sony Pictures Entertainment hack could bring major federal departments to their knees, because most have no data-loss contingency plans, according to the latest figures on compliance with government cybersecurity laws.

Further, unplugging systems to contain damage, as Sony did, would impair an agency’s ability to carry out constitutional duties, some former federal cyber leaders say.

While it is debatable whether North Korea, unaffiliated hacktivists seizing an opportunity or another entity is ransacking the entertainment behemoth’s networks, one thing is clear: Sony had shoddy disaster response procedures.

The attack reportedly used so-called wiper malicious code that destroys files. After the first signs of a breach in late November, Sony officials told employees to disconnect machines from the corporate network.

Mike Rogers: China, Iran, and Russia Launching Cyber Attacks Against U.S.

House Intelligence Committee chair says $2 trillion has been lost

Chinese government-backed hackers have cost the United States nearly $2 trillion in “lost and stolen property” that was seized through illicit Internet attacks, Rep. Mike Rogers (R., Mich.), chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Monday.

The theft of proprietary information and technology by the Chinese constitutes “the largest transfer of wealth illegally in the world’s history,” according to Rogers, who warned that the United States is not prepared to combat these cyber threats.

Beijing’s Backdoors

Senior members of the House Intelligence Committee said on Thursday that two Chinese telecommunications companies are helping Chinese intelligence by providing access to data moved on computer and network equipment sold to governments and companies around the world.

Rep. Michael Rogers, chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence, said Huawei Technologies Co. and ZTE Corp. could be compelled to assist China’s government if asked for data that passes through the company’s network routers. Furthermore, malicious code could be inserted in the companies’ software and exploited by China’s government, he said during a committee hearing.

…

Rogers (R., Mich.) warned that computer equipment is vulnerable to “backdoors and malicious” code that can be inserted by foreign countries.

According to U.S. officials, both Huawei and ZTE have close ties to the Chinese government and military.

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In one case, according to other U.S. officials, China several years ago sold counterfeit routers disguised as Cisco Systems routers to the Pentagon. The equipment was found to be transmitting signals as part of an apparent intelligence-gathering effort. The counterfeit routers were eventually traced to China.

Full article: Beijing’s Backdoors (Washington Free Beacon)