It would appear that the game is afoot.
Hackers stole information from the Department of Transportation and several U.S. corporations by seducing employees with fake job-listings on ads and e-mail, a computer security firm said on Monday.
The list of victims included several companies known for providing security services to government agencies.
They include consulting firm Booz Allen, computer services company Unisys Corp., defense contractor L-3 communications, computer maker Hewlett-Packard Co. and satellite network provider Hughes Network Systems, a unit of Hughes Communications Inc., said Mel Morris, chief executive of British Internet security provider Prevx Ltd.
Hewlett-Packard declined comment, while officials with other companies couldn’t be reached for comment. A Department of Transportation spokeswoman said the agency couldn’t find any indication of a security breach.
Malicious programs were able to pass sophisticated security systems undetected because that software hadn’t been instructed that they were dangerous. Hackers only targeted a limited group of personal computers, which kept traffic down and allowed them to stay under the radar of security police who tend to identify threats when activity reaches a certain level.
So this targeted attack was limited in scope but, refined to such a point as to avoid detection. A pro? China? Russia?
Thoughts?
Tags: Hacker Theft, Professional Hackers, Criminal Hacking, Data Theft
