Topic: James Lewis

Obama ordered Stuxnet cyberattack, reports say. Did it leave US vulnerable?

A New York Times report claims that President Obama used the Stuxnet cyberweapon to set back Iran's nuclear program. But experts caution that the worm could be reverse-engineered. 

Is State Dept. hacking Al Qaeda? Not quite, but propaganda war is fierce.

Despite early reports, a State Department program to shoot down Al Qaeda propaganda online is not a hack. But the efforts are having an impact, Secretary Clinton says.

Cybersecurity: How US utilities passed up chance to protect their networks

Cybersecurity needs are not hypothetical, as the recent DHS warning of a cyberattack on the US natural gas industry shows. Why then was a post-9/11 initiative to secure US utilities dropped?

Cybersecurity bill (CISPA): After House passage, what will Senate do?

Sen. John McCain is pushing a voluntary cybersecurity approach, while another CISPA-type bill would require companies like electric utilities to meet federal cybersecurity standards.

Latest cyberattack on Iran targets oil export facilities

Computer servers at the government oil ministry and the National Iranian Oil Co. are the apparent target of a cyberattack via a data-deleting virus, Iranian officials have acknowledged. Previous attacks struck at Iran's nuclear program.

Al Qaeda rocked by apparent cyberattack. But who did it?

Al Qaeda's core jihadi websites have all been hit by an apparent cyberattack. For a group in flux, it's a big blow, but the nature of the attack raises questions about who's responsible. 

'Loopholes' leave America with weak cybersecurity plan, experts say

A cybersecurity bill under consideration by Congress tries deal with private industry concerns, but its 'loopholes' would leave America open to cyberattack, experts said Thursday.

As cybercrime rises, so does a new – and successful – breed of cybercops

Cybercrime is increasing, but one new study finds that cybercops have become a lot more effective at discovering data breaches and informing the often unaware victims.

Stratfor cyberattack adds an exclamation point to ‘Year of the Hack’

The 'hack and extract' attack on the strategic think tank Stratfor will only contribute to the public and media awareness of cybercrime that has grown throughout 2011.

Did Iran hijack the 'beast'? US experts cautious about bold claims. (Video)

To hijack the lost US drone, Iran would have to have overcome major technical hurdles. None are impossible, but US experts question Iran's capabilities in such high-end cyberwarfare. 

Cyber security: Power grid grows more vulnerable to attack, report finds

'Smart grid' features and Internet-based connections to the US power grid are proliferating, increasing pathways for would-be cyber attackers, says a study from MIT. What to do?

Report: Chinese hackers launched summer offensive on US chemical industry

Chinese hackers sought to steal designs, formulas, and processes from chemical companies in the US and elsewhere, according to a report by cybersecurity firm Symantec. It's the latest example of Chinese hackers targeting a sector of the US economy.

A year of Stuxnet: Why is the new cyberweapon's warning being ignored?

Experts called Stuxnet a 'wake-up call' when it was identified as a cyberweapon. But even as hackers study it, there is scant evidence US utilities are bolstering their defenses against attack.

Massive global cyberattack hits US hard: Who could have done it?

Cybersecurity firm McAfee says it infiltrated a 'command and control' server with detailed logs of five years of cyberattacks against targets ranging from the US government to the World Anti-Doping Agency. McAfee suggests a country was behind it. Experts suspect China.

What US cybersecurity needs: a few more good guys

In high-tech America, cybersecurity specialists trained for high-stakes fights with hackers are in short supply.

Internet privacy: Could the US make internet wiretaps easier?

Internet privacy advocates have already condemned the push to make it easier for the government to tap into internet and e-mail communications.

Despite uproar, Obama holds firm on NASA space exploration plans

Lawmakers and former astronauts have lambasted President Obama for scrapping a moon mission. Thursday, Obama will defend his vision for NASA space exploration through human spaceflight.

Cybersecurity czar's first task: reboot policy

The Obama White House Tuesday named former Bush aide, Howard Schmidt, as cybersecurity 'czar.' Cyber attacks from within and outside the country pose a growing threat to the US.

‘Iranian Cyber Army’ hack of Twitter signals cyber-politics era

Activists of all political stripes are expected to more aggressively pursue their ideological adversaries by any means necessary in cyberspace. On Thursday, Twitter was attacked for a second time, with an unknown group called the Iranian Cyber Army claiming the strike.

Yale murder: Police take lab technician into custody

Authorities issued warrants to raid the apartment of Raymond Clark III and take a DNA sample. He worked in the building where graduate student Annie Le's body was found.

Accused credit card hacker lived large in Miami

Industry analysts marveled at the scope of the operation — which Gonzalez allegedly dubbed “Get Rich or Die Tryin’.” One compared it to a hackers’ version of the 1980s gangster movie “Scarface.”

What recourse for a nation under cyberattack?

Almost none. No international framework exists to identify or sanction an attacking country.

USA

U.S. missile shoots down satellite - but why?

Critics say its motives may have included testing missile defenses or poking at China.