US, Israel Behind Flame Malware 382
The Washington Post is reporting that the sophisticated 'Flame' malware was created by the United States and Israel in order to collect intelligence on Iranian computer networks. The intel was to be used in a cyber-sabotage campaign intended to slow Iran's development of nuclear weapons. This follows confirmation a few weeks ago that the U.S. and Israel were behind Stuxnet, which caused problems at Iran's nuclear facilities. From the article:
"The emerging details about Flame provide new clues to what is thought to be the first sustained campaign of cyber-sabotage against an adversary of the United States. 'This is about preparing the battlefield for another type of covert action,' said one former high-ranking U.S. intelligence official, who added that Flame and Stuxnet were elements of a broader assault that continues today. 'Cyber-collection against the Iranian program is way further down the road than this.' ... The scale of the espionage and sabotage effort 'is proportionate to the problem that's trying to be resolved,' the former intelligence official said, referring to the Iranian nuclear program. Although Stuxnet and Flame infections can be countered, 'it doesn't mean that other tools aren't in play or performing effectively,' he said."
WikiLeaks founder seeks asylum at Ecuador embassy (Score:0, Informative)
Re:Beating the War Drums (Score:5, Informative)
You forgot the kill list.
Re:Evidence (Score:5, Informative)
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:4, Informative)
I don't agree with it, and it sure makes America look like a hypocritical dick, but yeah it's not really terrorism. You could argue what's happening in Iraq and Afghanistan by America is terrorism, which to be honest is the only way to win there, you can't occupy it for ever and if you can't scare every one into submission the problem will return when you leave, because you won't of fixed any underlying issues, and may of even made them worse. But i don't see the same terror that happened on 911 or with the civilian deathroll in the middle east happening in Iran research centres, at least not due to cyber terrorism (I’m well aware of the Israeli assassins taking out Iran scientists).
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:4, Informative)
How about doing some research or at least keeping up with the news before spewing? One of the two US attorneys on the leak case is Rod J. Rosenstein, a Republican appointed into his current position as US Attorney in 2005 by George W. Bush -- hardly the profile of an Obama partisan.
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:4, Informative)
You mis-spelled "centers".
P.S. Please mod this funny
P.P.S. Please do NOT mod this Informative... You'll look stupid.
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:4, Informative)
War tends to be when you are hitting military and/or government targets.
Terrorism tends to be when you are hitting civilian targets.
Destroying equipment used to make nuclear weapons is cyberwarfare. DDoSing the vatican is cyberterrorism.
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:2, Informative)
Big badaboom, but hardly enough to destroy a major city.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suitcase_bomb [wikipedia.org]
In nuclear weapon design, there is a tradeoff in small weapons designs between weight and compact size. Extremely small (as small as 5 inches (13 cm) diameter and 24.4 inches (62 cm) long) linear implosion type weapons, which might conceivably fit in a large briefcase or typical suitcase, have been tested, but the lightest of those are nearly 100 pounds (45 kg) and had a maximum yield of only a fraction of a kiloton (190 tons).
Re:When we do it to you (Score:3, Informative)
So if the United States sabotages Iranian efforts to develop nuclear power, and they have an energy shortfall which results in 100 preventable deaths of Iranian civilians who were on life support, this is just as bad as if the Iranian cyber-warfare division deliberately cut the power to a US hospital and 100 American civilians on life support died?
We and other countries have bent over backwards to offer Iran access to nuclear energy. If that's all they wanted they could have had it a decade ago, for cheap. No, they wanted to enrich uranium to make a nuclear weapon. When we blew up those centrifuges, we did it using computers AND NOBODY GOT BOMBED.
And before you get your jimmies rustled about those poor people in that energy starved hospital, may I remind you that Iran is one of the world's biggest oil producers. I think it might just be barely possible they could make up this imaginary shortfall with some of that oil.
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:4, Informative)
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:5, Informative)
No, they don't. Most Chinese live in poverty, only dreaming of the luxury of higher education.
Most Chinese live in big cities (more than a million inhabitants) and have access to government scholarships if they score well on the university entrance examination (gaokao).
The scholarships are a pittance, and many students have to work part-time to get through university, but their universities are loaded with brilliant people.
China is a developing country and many people do live in poverty, but there are likely more kids with (real!) Gucci bags in Chinese cities than in the US. You have no idea how fast the place is developing.
Re:Duh - Who else would have done it? (Score:4, Informative)
Good thing Eric Holder is appointing two Obama partisans to investigate the leaks.
What exactly is an "Obama Partisan?"
Perhaps Defense Secretary Robert Gates, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner, Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood, Army Secretary John McHugh, and Ambassador Jon Huntsman? All of these people are Republicans, conservatives, or people who served in Republican administrations. Finally as another poster here pointed out one of the two investigators appointed is a, gasp!, Republican! If you're drinking the Fox coolaid you may believe that the current administration is partisan, but it flies in the face of the facts. This President reaches across the aisle repeatedly looking for compromise only to have his open hand slapped. If you're looking for partisanship you'll have to look elsewhere.