Cyber Attacks Hit US Oil Industry

25 January 2010

AXCESS NEWS (HOUSTON) - Marathon Oil, ExxonMobil, and ConocoPhillips were victims of cyberespionage in 2008. The companies were unaware of the attack until the FBI alerted them in early 2009. The most senior executives at the companies were the targeted for the attack. Valuable bid data, information such as location, quantity, and value of oil reserves discovered around the world, was siphoned from computers. The attacks on the oil companies follow the same pattern as the attacks seen recently on Google and other companies. The spyware used is sophisticated enough that it is virtually undetectable by current anti-virus software and precautions. Source: http://www.axcessnews.com/index.php/articles/show/id/19305 (Reliability: Moderate 39.74)

Project Grey Goose Report On Critical Infrastructure: Attacks, Actors, and Emerging Threats

21 January 2010

INTELFUSION (WASHINGTON)- Project Grey Goose's latest report details the attacks perpetrated against critical infrastructure systems world-wide. According to the report, China and Russia are nation states that see military potential in attacking the critical infrastructure of enemies, and they are developing capabilities in this arena. Meanwhile, some attacks on control systems originate from non-state actors in China, Russia, and Turkey. Chinese hackers typically have nationalist motivations. In several cases Russian hackers targeted their own government. Turkish hackers exhibit both religious and political motivations. Source: http://www.intelfusion/wordpress/
(Reliabilty:48.47--High)

U.S. Plans To Issue Official Protest To China Over Attack On Google

16 January 2010
WASHINGTON POST (WASHINGTON, D.C.) - The United States plans to issue a formal "demarche" to the Chinese government in the near term in regards to "Operation Aurora" and allegations of state-sponsored hacking. A formal diplomatic message will signal a shift in U.S./China relations says Richard N. Rosecrance, who is the director of the Project on U.S.-China Relations at Harvard University. He continues to say that due to alleged state-sponsorship, the previously held favorable U.S. policy toward China "might now begin to shift in another direction". Source:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/01/15/AR2010011503917.html
(Reliability: 56.53 -- High)