Cyberwar: Operation Shady Rat

Overheal

http://gizmodo.com/5827187/operation-rat-is-the-largest-cyber-attack-ever-uncovered

Operation Shady Rat Is The Largest Cyber Attack Ever Uncovered

If it wasn't true before, it's definitely true now. Hacking isn't just for giggles, it's a major threat to international security.
On Wednesday, McAfee released a 14-page report that details the largest coordinated cyber attack recorded to date. This particular attack, possibly orchestrated by China, broke into 72 organizations over the course of five years.


The targets include the US, Canada, Taiwan, India, South Korea, and Vietnam. The attack also hit the UN, the International Olympic Committee, the World Anti-doping agency, defense contractors, tech companies and more. Most attacks lasted less than a month, but some, like that on the UN Secretariat, lasted for almost two years.
We may have wanted to stick our fingers in our ears and pretend a cyber attack like this wasn't happening, but after this report, even my grandmother will know what this "cyber thingamabobber" is [Reuters; Shutterstock/Alexander Lukin]

Based on the list of targets, it sure sounds like China.

The world is still a long way off from being ready to wrap it's head around cyberwarfare, and China is definitely one of the entities leading the arms race.

hatrickpatrick

Ebaums did it.

Nodin

Overheal wrote: »

http://gizmodo.com/5827187/operation-rat-is-the-largest-cyber-attack-ever-uncovered



Based on the list of targets, it sure sounds like China.

The world is still a long way off from being ready to wrap it's head around cyberwarfare, and China is definitely one of the entities leading the arms race.

All them thumbs, hitting "return" like mad. We're out-thumbed, really.

Hayte

Cyberwarfare is an interesting way to put it considering that the McAfee report appears to suggest that all of the intrusions were done through phishing emails?

So really its about companies with international profile not adhering to best practice, not educating their workers in how not to open email attachments or click on links that you don't recognize.

Then once a machine has been compromised through a single user's ignorance, they have live intruders escalate user privileges through social engineering and and rainbow tabling weak ass passwords of users with admin privileges/root access. Just like what Anonymous did with HB Gary (an internet security firm of all things).

I'm not sure you can really call this warfare or an arms race. More like, its interested parties rummaging through desk drawers because someone didn't lock up properly?