1,500 PCs taken offline following break-in
vnunet.com, 22 Jun 2007
An email-borne attack has caused the US Department of Defense to take 1,500 of its internal computers offline.
Secretary of Defense Robert Gates told reporters that the attack occurred in an unclassified email service, but added that attacks on the Pentagon's systems are nothing new.
"The reality is that the Defence Department is constantly under attack," he said. "A variety of precautionary measures are being taken. We expect the system to be online again very soon."
The attack is currently under investigation. Day-to-day operations have not been affected by the attack, according to Gates, and no other systems were compromised.
Gates himself was not hit hard. "I don't do email. I'm a very low-tech person," he joked.
Breaking into Pentagon computer systems can have very serious consequences. UK hacker Gary McKinnon recently lost his fight against extradition to the US on seven felony counts.
McKinnon has always claimed that he broke into government systems while searching for evidence of extra-terrestrial life. If convicted, he could be imprisoned for up to 70 years.
Up to half of us of can't live without a daily fix
Remote access - Three steps to getting connected
3.4 million UK professionals now work from home – is your company equipped?
Cost benefits of a global collaboration network
This white paper is a must read for organisations looking for evidence of the bottom-line benefits of high-definition video and voice communications
Keep up to date with the latest products, services and technologies from the world's leading IT companies; IThound.com brings you over 6,000 white papers, case studies and analyst reports.
We ask Gartner Research director Nikos Drakos for advice on...
ORG's Jim Killock calls on the government to become more...
Do you agree?
Have your say on this article