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Pentagon Confirms 2008 Computer Breach — 'Worst Ever'

jowifi writes "The New York Times reports that the Pentagon has confirmed that, in 2008, a foreign agent instigated 'the most significant breach of US military computers ever' using a USB flash drive. While the breach was previously reported on Wired and the LA Times, this is the first official confirmation of the attack that led to the banning of USB drives on government computers."

9 of 157 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Obligatory by Flea+of+Pain · · Score: 2, Funny

    Damn. Parsing got rid of my comic book guy html tags.

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  2. Not the worst ever... by d474 · · Score: 4, Funny

    In 1983, a high school kid named David Lightman hacked his way into DOD computer @ Norad called the W.O.P.R. which almost resulted in an all out nuclear war between the U.S.A. and Russia. I believe they made a movie about it.

    So until I hear a story that tops that, keep your "worst ever" superlatives to yourself. Oh, wait...

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  3. Re:The right reaction? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Funny

    Hahaha! Unfortunately, that joke accurately depicts what the U.S. government does. Some retard tried to light his shoes on fire, so now everyone has to take their shoes off. Some retard tried to set his underwear on fire, so now Chertoff can sell his backscatter machines. Some retard is going to try a rectal bomb, and we can all predict what our government's brilliant response to that will be.

  4. Re:Where there's a USB port ... there's a way by countSudoku() · · Score: 3, Funny

    That's a good work-around!

    So any unprotected [USB] port is, well, a potential source of a leak.

    Along with any camera, copier, cell phone, human with a memory, network accessible device, etc. Every kind of access restriction can be circumvented. *Every* kind.

    I would suggest mounting all laptops in cement, then chaining the cement block down to the cube frame structure. Close off all connectivity, embed in a Faraday Cage, then keep anyone, including the approved user, from accessing it, and you're all set! Bob's your uncle! Otherwise, expect your data to escape. Because it will. :) Have a nice day!

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    This is the NSA, we're gonna geet U h@x0r5! Also, what is a h@x0r5?
  5. Re:Was it Windows, again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dude, chill. Your English is breaking up.

  6. Re:Haven't I seen this movie before? by PitaBred · · Score: 3, Funny

    Didn't you read? He said magmetic field. I assume it has to do with magma, maybe burning the user alive. That sounds pretty secure to me.

  7. Re:Still vulnerable by Beardo+the+Bearded · · Score: 4, Funny

    It's always someone's first day. It took you years to get to the point you could even post on /.

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    ECHELON is a government program to find words like bomb, jihad, plutonium, assassinate, and anarchy.
  8. +1 Funny by PerfectionLost · · Score: 2, Funny

    Hilarious

  9. Re:The right reaction? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    Wow! It sounds like Internet information clearinghouse sites like wikileaks stand no chance of ever getting their hands on sensitive information with a system as strong as you describe.