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Defense Companies Hit By Malicious Code
Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
2008-10-02
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Some security stories relate to fairly harmless issues, but this one might go well beyond "whoops." It seems that LIGNex1 and Hyundai Heavy Industries, two Korean companies that construct things for the military, have had malicious code planted within their computer systems.
 | | Defense Companies Hit By Malicious Code |  |
So you know the (potential) scale of the problem: LIGNex1 deals with missiles, radar, and communications systems. Hyundai Heavy Industries is the world's largest shipbuilder. And it was the National Security Research Institute that found the malicious code. This sounds like the start of some near-apocalypse novel by Tom Clancy, right?
As for who planted the code, how they did it, and what files were affected, details are scarce right now. Chalk it up to government secrecy or (and this is a slightly scarier possibility) true ignorance at the same level.
Anyway, as reported by SC Magazine UK, a National Security Research Institute representative said, "The research institute suspects the culprits are Chinese or North Korean hackers but doesn't know specifically what information they stole. In the worst case, the blueprints of missiles and Aegis ship could have been stolen."
There are a few silver linings and good signs in all of this, however. One came as the spokesperson acknowledged, "It's shocking that our major defense industries are open to attacks from hackers and that our missiles are vulnerable to theft by cyber terrorists. A general review of our cyber security system is needed."
And in all honesty, having the blueprints to something doesn't necessarily mean that a person or country can build it. There are matters of resources and skill to consider, even as spy satellites presumably keep an eye on large factories and shipbuilding facilities.
Finally, at least the blueprints secrets were (maybe) stolen from companies connected to a close ally like South Korea, instead of a government less willing to cooperate with the U.S.
So, assuming we aren't all soon destroyed in either an economic or military sense, things at Korean defense companies may be better in the long term. And hopefully defense corporations located elsewhere in the world will also learn from this development.
About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for SecurityProNews. InternetFinancialNews, SearchNewz, and WebProNews.
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