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Destructive Hacks Strike Saudi Arabia, Posing Challenge to Trump (bloomberg.com)

Posted by msmash on from the major-hack dept.

State-sponsored hackers have conducted a series of destructive attacks on Saudi Arabia over the last two weeks, erasing data and wreaking havoc in the computer banks of the agency running the country's airports and hitting five additional targets, according to two people familiar with an investigation into the breach. From a report on Bloomberg: Saudi Arabia said after inquiries from Bloomberg News that "several" government agencies were targeted in attacks that came from outside the kingdom, according to state media. Although a probe by Saudi authorities is still in its early stages, the people said digital evidence suggests the attacks emanated from Iran. That could present President-elect Donald Trump with a major national security challenge as he steps into the Oval Office. The use of offensive cyber weapons by a nation is relatively rare and the scale of the latest attacks could trigger a tit-for-tat cyber war in a region where capabilities have mushroomed ever since an attack on Saudi Aramco in 2012.

11 of 184 comments (clear)

  1. Why would this concern Trump? by LordLucless · · Score: 4, Insightful

    He campaigned on a platform of isolationism. Why would he care if two countries on the other side of the world are hacking each other?

    --
    Just because you're paranoid doesn't mean there isn't an invisible demon about to eat your face
    1. Re:Why would this concern Trump? by Jeremi · · Score: 5, Funny

      Don't worry, Barron is on it. He's really good with the cyber.

      --


      I don't care if it's 90,000 hectares. That lake was not my doing.
    2. Re:Why would this concern Trump? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Informative

      More like 8%

    3. Re:Why would this concern Trump? by EEPROMS · · Score: 4, Informative

      The democrats love the Saudi's as they donate millions every year to them especially to the Clinton foundation. Trump on the other hand doesn't need the money so if the Saudi dictatorship have been financing terrorism in Syria in direct conflict with Russia then that's their own fault. Also the USA isn't as dependent on the Saudi's any more for their energy needs so I can't see why the USA should throw another few billion at the "waste of time" islamic infighting in the middle east.

    4. Re:Why would this concern Trump? by MightyMartian · · Score: 4, Interesting

      Because the most powerful leader in the world should have a world view utterly devoid of nuance.

      Ignorance is strength, I suppose.

      --
      The world's burning. Moped Jesus spotted on I50. Details at 11.
    5. Re:Why would this concern Trump? by dbIII · · Score: 4, Insightful

      There is the very slim possibility that he will ally himself with Putin and Assad and finally take an active role in actually fighting back against ISIS

      And fighting our current allies in Syria that we were backing against Assad.
      It's a huge win for Putin and a huge stain on our reputation if he can trick Trump into doing that backstab. Trump is a babe in the woods who treats everything like a game and Putin is a professional spy turned gangster turned Tsar who will eat Trump for breakfast.
      I put the possibility at a lot more than slim.
      On the rest I agree with every word.

  2. Slashdot Trolling? by SandmanWAIX · · Score: 5, Insightful

    I don't know if this is Slashdot trolling but these Trump articles need to stop, its getting ridiculous. A better headline would be "Saudi and Iran in cyber shitfight". Trying to shoehorn this into a Donald angle is an overreach.

    1. Re:Slashdot Trolling? by BigBuckHunter · · Score: 5, Interesting

      I don't know if this is Slashdot trolling but these Trump articles need to stop, its getting ridiculous. A better headline would be "Saudi and Iran in cyber shitfight". Trying to shoehorn this into a Donald angle is an overreach.

      I'd mod you up, but you're already +5

    2. Re:Slashdot Trolling? by unixisc · · Score: 4, Insightful

      Precisely! This clickbait behavior by msmash, Editor David, Beau whatever is really getting long in the tooth and annoying

  3. lame by tsotha · · Score: 4, Insightful

    The Trump connection here is lame. For one thing, it's another month and a half before Trump takes office, and this will have blown over by then. For another, it wasn't Trump who was threatening to go to war over cyber attacks - that was Clinton. But beyond that, the US doesn't have some kind of Cyber Mutual Defense treaty with KSA. This is a challenge for the king of that country - the US isn't obligated to do anything.

  4. You mean posing a challenge for Obama? by mveloso · · Score: 5, Insightful

    This should read "Posing a challenge to Obama." You know, the guy who's still President?