RT NewsUS officials have accused Iran of recently hacking unclassified Navy computers. If the allegations prove true, the incident would be one of the most serious cyberintrusions of American computer systems by the Islamic Republic.
The officials said hackers working for the Iranian government or a proxy group with approval from Iranian leaders are responsible for penetrating the unclassified Navy computer network.
US officials said they do not believe information of significant value was lifted, though the potency of such a cyberattack that accessed military data set off alarms at the Pentagon, the Wall Street Journal reported.
Iran’s cyber abilities have increased gradually, gaining further recognition from the US military, according to anonymous officials.
“Their ability to also play in this [cyber] sandbox compounds that concern,” a US official said.
Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Martin Dempsey were briefed on the infiltration and how the Pentagon is boosting its network strength. Congress has also been briefed on the hack, officials said.
Previous Iran-backed hacks and surveillance efforts have gone after US banks and energy industry computer networks.
The allegations occur as the US and Iranian governments have increased negotiations over Iran’s nuclear program. US President Barack Obama and Iranian President Hassan Rouhani spoke on Friday, after both leaders delivered speeches this week before the United Nations General Assembly in New York.
Iranian officials did not return requests for comment, the WSJ reported.
The US led a cyberattack — dubbed ‘Olympic Games’ — on Iranian uranium enrichment facilities during the Bush and the Obama administrations, the New York Times reported last July. The program included a collaboration with Israeli hackers to develop the Stuxnet computer worm, which was used to infect Iranian computer networks and damage hundreds of centrifuges at the Natanz enrichment facility.
Hmmm….I wonder where the NSA super duper spy grid was on this one. Somebody must have dropped the ball. Oh wait, I forgot. The NSA is far to busy spying on Americans to pay attention to anything some Iranians might be up to.
Well, if the NSA wants to spy on the world… Alls fair and everything is game in a Spy vs Spy world. They reap what they sow, do on to others as you would want them to do to you.
Are they sure it isn’t just a Microsoft update causing havoc?
hehehe
iran hacked the navys database of “insignificant informational value.” We must bomb them.
Is it just a coincidence that the Syrian Electronic Army (S E A), and now Iran are being accused of doing some hacking? Aren’t they the next targets to get a visit from our “spreading democracy” military? I guess if we can’t attack them one way, we’ll have to accuse them of something so we can take action.
Probably Israeli hackers trying to lay the blame on Iranians…
US and Israeli original plan: Drop Sarin gas on Syria. Blame it on Assad government. Attack Syria and wait for Iran to respond, then bomb Iran. Only one problem, the gas attack was not proven to be done by Assad.
Plan is halted.
US and Israeli plan number 2: Cyber attack on Naval computers, then blame Iran. This is a great plan because you can “never” prove if it’s true or false, just bomb Iran. All you need now is for O’Bama to be outraged by the cyber attack and make a big deal of it. Then it’s turn the bombers loose.
This certainly sounds more like a MOSSAD operation to blame Iranians for anything and everything.
On the other hand if it’s true….Well, we’ve been spying on Iran as well. All’s fair in love and war. If the U.S.and Israel can hit Iran with the Stuxnet virus they have every right to return the favor.
“Their ability to also play in this [cyber] sandbox compounds that concern,” a US official said.”
Wow. Not only is Iran trying to ‘build a bomb’, but now they’re crapping in the so-called ‘government’s’ personal [cyber] sandbox?
The nerve of some folks.
Iranian hackers with names like Shlomo, Ariel and Bynjamin.
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