US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
Claire Berlinski, Ed. ·
May 31, 2011 at 3:43am
First: You realize there's a significant chance the massive hacker attack on Lockheed-Martin was government-sponsored, don't you?
Second: What an odd coincidence of timing! Unnamed "military officials" have been leaking the essence of the Pentagon's first formal cyber strategy to the Wall Street Journal. Computer sabotage coming from another country, it seems, may be treated as an act of war. "If you shut down our power grid," said one unnamed official, "maybe we will put a missile down one of your smokestacks."
This thread now is formally open for speculation about who did it and who said that and whether we mean it and what this might entail, especially if China did it, which everyone pretty much knows they did.
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Comments :
May '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
We should be thankful that forward thinkers one, two, three decades ago set in motion the means by which we can "put a missle down one of your smokestacks."
What are we laying by for those who will follow us (our children, in the case of those of us who have any)?
Oct '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
We can be assured that nothing of consequence will happen until after 2012 or 2016, no matter what the Chinese, Iranians or others will do... unless Israel does it.
Perhaps we all need reminding about Nevile Chamberlain.
Jan '11
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
If it's the Chinese who did it, just tell 'em that if they don't cut it out we're gonna send Joe Biden over on a one-month 'Goodwill Tour'.
If that doesn't scare 'em, theres always Jimmy Carter.
Aug '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
From my reading, it's been known for many years that China, the Norks, and Russia (plus a few other minor players) have full-time programs for penetrating, stealing from, and damaging our national security and private industry computer networks. It's highly lucrative and the cost/benefit ratio is attractive. This is the new front for 21st Century war, and all nations of the world are vulnerable to destruction without a shot being fired.
May '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
Reports today of the Australian Tax Office being hacked by Remote Access keys generated from the Lockhead-Martin failures have been posted. China was reported as a possible source, having already hacked previously into Prime Minister and Cabinet accounts, and secured comms.
You don't have to shut down the East Coast of Australia or the US Power grids to hold a country to ransom, just impair their ability to secure tax revenue or compromised personal tax details will do. Can you imagine if the IRS was for 6 Months unable to properly levy taxes and was reduced to manual payments and accounting. The effects on sovereign risk on top of record borrowing would be damaging in the extreme.
Successful Chinese efforts to hack access to Australia's biggest mining companies records (the Chinese are supplied by Australian Gas, Coal, Iron Ore, Copper etc), have occurred. In 2009 China arrested Chinese-Australian businessman Stern Hu, and others who were heading Chinese offices of miner Rio Tinto and jailed for 10 years This occurred after a related failed Chinese bid for an Australian mine was forbidden on grounds of Australian national interest,
Edited on May 31, 2011 at 7:12amAug '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
I think it would be foolish for China to launch attacks at the United States. If such culpability were to be confirms, it virtually guarantees that the United States will default on its debts to China. Can China afford to eat that much of a financial loss?
That's not to say that China isn't responsible for the attack. They may indeed be that foolish.
Sep '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
As has been the case for quite a while now. This leak is arguably worse than the attacks themselves, since it will invite future attacks. We are a paper tiger in too many ways, despite the fact that we are more than capable of defending ourselves on the cyber battlefields.
May '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
Chamberlain's pacifism and reluctance to get into an armed conflict with Germany was understandable (if inexcusable) on the grounds of the experience of World War I.
In the late 30's there were plenty of horribly maimed survivors of WWI whose very presence reminded England of the conflict that had to have seemed like Armageddon. Just one example: reconstructive surgery being what it was, hundreds of WWI survivors wore (and some were buried in) masks to hide terrible facial disfigurements. It's not hard to understand why denial was preferred to reality.
Our current leadership's denial of reality, is both inexcusable and incomprehensible.
Jun '10
Re: US to Hackers: We'll Put a Missile Down Your Smokestack
Are the attack worth retaliation with nuclear weapons? Since that is the only credible military threat we can make to China, and that is something we will not do, we will do nothing but bluster. We won't spend the money nor make the effort to really secure our systems. Instead we will engage in yet more "security theater," making the motions while doing nothing more that making things impossible for our own people.
If you have any doubt, simply look at our responses to 9/11 and how "secure" we are now.