Cyber roundup (9/17): Flame, more on cyber EO, and sequestration’s impact on cyber

Quick look at recent cyber news . . .

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Big news today about Flame, the espionage tool found trolling around the Middle East earlier this summer.  According to Wired’s Kim Zetter, the people behind Flame left “tantalizing clues,” including a 2006 development date, an attempted cleanup operation “to wipe the Flame malware from infected machines,” and additional evidence that this was the work of a nation-state.  Much of this information was discovered by researchers from Symantec and Kaspersky Lab.

Jim Finkle also reported on Flame for Reuters.  According to Finkle, “current and former Western national security officials have told Reuters that the United States played a role in creating Flame.”  That’s really not that surprising considering the news about Stuxnet.  More interesting, however, is new evidence that the people behind Flame may also be behind “three previously unknown computer viruses for use in espionage operations or cyber warfare.”  One of those viruses is “currently deployed in the Middle East,” but their functions are unknown.

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According to The Hill’s Brendan Sasso, “National Security Advisor John Brennan confirmed that the White House is drafting an executive order to encourage companies to better protect vital computer systems.”

Jaikumar Vijayan wrote for Computerworld and noted that there are still a number of questions looming about President Obama’s cybersecurity plans.

Interestingly, techdirt claims to have a leaked draft version of the cybersecurity EO.

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Aliya Sternstein reported for Nextgov on the impact that sequestration could have on cyber programs.  The general consensus has been that cyber would be mostly spared from sequestration’s harsh cuts.  That is still the case with regard to “front-line security of government networks.”  However, Sternstein explained that $900 million dollars worth of cuts to DHS “could knock out support for private sector cyberdefense programs . . ..”  Grid protection initiatives, corporate network security assistance, R/D grants, and other private sector initiatives would likely suffer.  Sternstein also notes that NSTIC could be a casualty if sequestration comes to pass.