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Australian Intelligence HQ Blueprints Hacked
SandmanWAIX writes "In an embarrassing revelation today it appears as though the blueprints to the new Australian federal intelligence agency ASIO headquarters have been stolen, reportedly by a cyber attack originating from China. Several other governmental departments have been reported as being breached also. The blueprints which have been compromised include the security system, comms network, floor plan and server locations of the new ASIO headquarters located in the Australian capital city, Canberra."
When every other country stops doing the same?
U.S. and Britain have been doing it wholesale since at least World War II so that would set the bar to at least 70 years.
@de_machina
There's always the possibility the attackers found a "fake" blueprint under a lighter level of security, put there to make them think they found something worthwhile and back out to avoid further detection. Then you make it public (like it now has) and make the enemy believe something that's actually a complete ruse.
Sure, it looks embarrassing for you, but one of the major elements of intelligence is counter-intelligence and misdirection. Let the enemy believe they now know something juicy, and they'll further base actions on incorrect intel.
Just a thought. Of could be as simple as the Aussie Government completely fucking up by running a poorly patched Windows XP infected with a compromised USB. Some idiot on the article's comments section (tonyy) did suggest Linux would have been more secure. As if the Chinese wouldn't know how to write Linux malware and infect via social engineering if it were the predominant OS used on Government machines (which it will never be - Windows is just too well designed for corporate use on the desktop).
Back when most people on the internet were still computer literate, a report like this would explain how the attack happened, how it was discovered, and other interesting/important details.
Now all we hear is a few buzzwords, a few propaganda works, and no more real information than what is in the headline. For all we know it never actually happened. Maybe they just found malware on a computer and overreacted.
"First they came for the slanderers and i said nothing."