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flea
from depths of your mind (New Zealand) on 2002-08-17 13:56 [#00353935]
Points: 9083 Status: Regular
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be warned..dont try this at home kids...
US Military Computers Easily Cracked 17/08/2002 03:56 PM Andy Sullivan
Tens of thousands of US military and government computers containing sensitive information are easily accessible over the Internet, a computer security firm that cracked the networks has said.
Military encryption techniques, correspondence between generals, recruits' Social Security and credit-card numbers and other sensitive information is often stored on Internet-connected computers that use easily guessed passwords or in some cases no passwords at all, said an official at San Diego security firm ForensicTec Solutions Inc.
``We were kind of shocked at the security measures, or lack thereof,'' said ForensicTec President Brett O'Keefe.
ForensicTec consultants came across the network for the U.S. Army's Fort Hood base in Texas while working with another client earlier this summer, O'Keefe said.
From there, they were able to access internal networks at other military bases, as well as civilian agencies like the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, the Department of Energy and the Department of Transportation, he said.
Computers were easily cracked by guessing common passwords like the user's name, or even by typing in ``password,'' O'Keefe said.
Although they were not able to access any classified information, the security consultants were able to find e-mail messages between generals and other high-ranking officers and recruits' Social Security and credit-card numbers, he said.
They also found records describing radio-encryption techniques, laser-targeting systems and information about couriers carrying secret documents, he said.
More sensitive information might be available, as the consultants only checked a few of the tens of thousands of computers that could be accessed, he said.
Defense Department spokesmen were not immediately available for comment.
Computer trespass is a felony crime in the United States, and computer hackers co
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flea
from depths of your mind (New Zealand) on 2002-08-17 13:57 [#00353936]
Points: 9083 Status: Regular
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Computer trespass is a felony crime in the United States, and computer hackers could face beefed-up penalties including life in prison under a bill that passed the House of Representatives earlier this year. But O'Keefe said ForensicTec consultants felt they needed to highlight the lax security so that it could be improved.
``Yes, it was a risk for us to come forward, but if we didn't, who's to say the next person to come across these networks would do the right thing?'' he said.
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steve mcqueen
from caerdydd (United Kingdom) on 2002-08-17 13:59 [#00353938]
Points: 6531 Status: Addict
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heh they still have sendmail bugs from like 1992.
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Messageboard index
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