Cyber Round Up: Government Workers Responsible for Cyber-Incidents?; UK Research to Stop Flight Cyber Jacking; Cyber-Attack on U.S. Water Systems; New Cybersecurity Law in Japan; Israeli Researchers Remotely Hack a Car
To what extend have government workers been responsible for reported cyber-incidents? According to an article by the Associated Press, workers scattered across more than a dozen agencies, from the Defense and Education departments to the National Weather Service, are responsible for at least half of the federal cyber-incidents reported each year since 2010. At a time when intelligence officials say cybersecurity now trumps terrorism as the No. 1 threat to the U.S., AP reports that the federal government isn’t required to publicize its own brushes with data loss. AP reports that it has filed dozens of Freedom of Information Act requests, interviewed hackers, cybersecurity experts and government officials, and obtained documents describing digital cracks in the system, in order to determine the extent of federal cyber-incidents, which include probing into network weak spots, stealing data and defacing websites.
According to SC Magazine UK, a cyber-terrorism researcher is helping to develop a network that would act to stop “flight cyber-jacking.” According to the article, “hacking an aircraft is possible if a “cyber bomb” is used, where hackers place malware on a system and it ‘explodes’ onto the system. On airplanes, this could cause a crash. For a hacker to gain access to an aircraft, they need to figure out a way of navigating its network to control its systems.” To read how the new research could prevent such attacks, click here for the full article.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that much of the critical infrastructure in the U.S., including major water and wastewater systems, has been jeopardized by a destructive computer malware program, reports WaterWorld. According to the report, this “BlackEnergy” virus has breached integral software used to operate a variety of national industrial processes that include water distribution networks, water and wastewater treatment systems, oil and gas pipelines, wind turbines, power grids, and nuclear plants.
The Japan News reports that a new law was passed to counter cyber-attacks. The article states that under the new law, the government will set up headquarters to be led by the chief cabinet secretary which will draw up a strategy to crack down on cyber-attacks and prevent damage from such attacks from spreading.
Former members of an Israeli intelligence unit dedicated to thwarting cyber crimes announced Friday they had remotely hacked into a vehicle that contained an aftermarket device with a big security hole, reports AutoBlog. According to the article, the vulnerability allowed hackers to control vehicle functions, like unlocking doors and manipulating instrument-cluster readings. They could have also controlled the vehicle’s engine, brakes and steering components. For the full article, click here.
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