Forum: Program and politics

Lancashire Evening Post wrote:

BAE jet designs targeted by spies
By David Coates
Published on Sunday 11 March 2012 19:34

Top secret plans for a Lancashire-built fighter jet have been hacked by Chinese spies, it has been revealed.

A senior security figure has revealed computers used by workers at BAE Systems for its F-35 fighter jet programme were hacked to steal details about the design and systems of the aircraft.

The company’s base at Samlesbury, near Preston, is the major manufacturing hub for its part of the F-35 manufacturing, building the aft fuselage, vertical and horizontal tails for the jet, which is assembled in the United States.

BAE declined to comment on the attack which has sparked fears the radar developed for the jet could have been compromised.

In a statement, BAE said: “We do not comment on allegations of cyber attacks against the company. BAE Systems’ own cycber security capability can detect, prevent and rectify such attacks.”

A source told the Sunday Times that an unnamed senior BAE executive had spoken at a private dinner of security experts that its systems had come under attack from Chinese hackers for 18 months.

It is understood the attacks had taken place in recent years. A report by the UK Office of Cyber Crime and Detica, the security arm of BAE Systems, last year showed cyber crime cost the UK economy £27bn every year. Detica managing director Martin Sutherland said that business was bearing more than three-quarters of the cost.

He urged the Government to “mobilise” itself to tackle the growing threat.

The Sunday Times quoted the Chinese embassy saying the allegation was “baseless” and said China condemned all forms of online crime.

source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/lep-business/ ... -1-4335577

F-16.net Sponsor

Nothing in that article says anything was actually obtained. Just that there were attacks for 18 months. Not that any of them were successful. Maybe there was a breach, maybe there wasn't a breach, this says nothing. This isn't news.

river_otter wrote:

Nothing in that article says anything was actually obtained. Just that there were attacks for 18 months. Not that any of them were successful. Maybe there was a breach, maybe there wasn't a breach, this says nothing. This isn't news.

Well it does say this:

"A senior security figure has revealed computers used by workers at BAE Systems for its F-35 fighter jet programme were hacked to steal details about the design and systems of the aircraft."

BAE is mum:

"BAE declined to comment on the attack which has sparked fears the radar developed for the jet could have been compromised."

Apparently, The Sunday Times (of London,) who broke the story - not a minor newspaper btw - disagrees with your assessment about what is newsworthy. Unfortunately, their online edition is subscription-based and not available. Other outlets are bound to pick up the story, so we will see more coverage about this later in the week.

Says why they were hacked, "to steal details about the design and systems of the aircraft". It does not say they succeeded.

Nor did it say that they were unsuccessful.

maus92 wrote:

Nor did it say that they were unsuccessful.

It's a news report- if the attacks were successful they'd sell more copies. Given that, do you think it's likely the newspaper had solid indications that the attackers were successful or not?

I'll say this: It is concerning that the hacking is going on. It is concerning that it could have succeeded. It is bothersome but not worrying that I don't know the details of what's being done about it -- I'm not in a position to need to know, so if I do know, that would be something to worry about.

But we've known about the ongoing hacking attempts against the F-35 program for years. We even know some of it was successful against other networks; the Pentagon's confidential but not classified F-35 data have been hacked to the tune of a terrabyte or more for at least five years, and that has been public for a month and nine days shy of three years. So what's new here to make it news?

Here is what appears to be at least some of the text from the Times article, published in a Pakistani defense / security forum:

"The Chinese exploited vulnerabilities in BAE's computer defences to steal vast amounts of data on the $300 billion F-35 Joint Strike Fighter, a multinational project to create a plane that will give the West air supremacy for years to come, according to the sources."

"A former US official, speaking last week on condition of anonymity, said the BAE Systems element of the JSF program had "almost certainly" been penetrated."

"Suspicions that the Joint Strike Fighter had been targeted by Chinese hackers first emerged in the US media in 2009."

http://www.terminalx.org/2012/03/securi ... acked.html

"The company’s base at Samlesbury, near Preston, is the major manufacturing hub for its part of the F-35 manufacturing, building the aft fuselage, vertical and horizontal tails for the jet, which is assembled in the United States.

BAE declined to comment on the attack which has sparked fears the radar developed for the jet could have been compromised. "

Isn't the radar stuff at the other end of the aircraft?
BAE declined comment so the MEDIA ratcheted up their sales by worrying that the radar was compromised?

fisk

maus92 wrote:

Lancashire Evening Post wrote:

BAE jet designs targeted by spies
By David Coates
Published on Sunday 11 March 2012 19:34

Top secret plans for a Lancashire-built fighter jet have been hacked by Chinese spies, it has been revealed.

A senior security figure has revealed computers used by workers at BAE Systems for its F-35 fighter jet programme were hacked to steal details about the design and systems of the aircraft.

The company’s base at Samlesbury, near Preston, is the major manufacturing hub for its part of the F-35 manufacturing, building the aft fuselage, vertical and horizontal tails for the jet, which is assembled in the United States.

BAE declined to comment on the attack which has sparked fears the radar developed for the jet could have been compromised.

In a statement, BAE said: “We do not comment on allegations of cyber attacks against the company. BAE Systems’ own cycber security capability can detect, prevent and rectify such attacks.”

A source told the Sunday Times that an unnamed senior BAE executive had spoken at a private dinner of security experts that its systems had come under attack from Chinese hackers for 18 months.

It is understood the attacks had taken place in recent years. A report by the UK Office of Cyber Crime and Detica, the security arm of BAE Systems, last year showed cyber crime cost the UK economy £27bn every year. Detica managing director Martin Sutherland said that business was bearing more than three-quarters of the cost.

He urged the Government to “mobilise” itself to tackle the growing threat.

The Sunday Times quoted the Chinese embassy saying the allegation was “baseless” and said China condemned all forms of online crime.

source: http://www.lep.co.uk/news/lep-business/ ... -1-4335577

You can't hack into top secret networks, unless you're in the TS network. They aren't connected to the commercial internet in any way. I'm somewhat dubious of just what would've possibly been compromised, unless there was somebody working on the inside.

Forum: Program and politics

BAE Systems F-35 plans stolen