Pierluigi Paganini: Fear Iran and escalation of cyber attacks

 

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IranianCyberWar/LinkedIN; US/1; ATTN: IS/[redacted], HD/23; HST/2; Mil.COM/2; US/17     Member CONTRIBUTION

by paganinip on April 30th, 2012

Last week I reported the virus attack to the Iranian oil industry, a cyber attack that seems has caused few damages but that raised again the theme of cyber warfare. Oil industry is the primary economic business of Iranian Government and an attack to the sector appears to the experts as a cyber war acts. In the past Iran was already victim of cyber attack to its nuclear plants, we all remember the case of the Stuxnet Virus, for this reason the Iranian intelligence is convinced that also this time the nation is facing with a new cyber attack. Iran has in great consideration the theme of cyber warfare and it government is making big investments to strengthen the technological structure of the country and to promote effective cyber strategy.

Immediate reaction to the incident, on Saturday Iranian oil ministry’s cyber team has identified the targets of the attack and also the responsibles. Despite the Iranian officials haven’t revealed the identity of the responsibles they have provided more information regarding the attack and the real damages, they have in fact confirmed a virus has hit the structures of Kharg Island plant destroing minor data and some user’s hard disks. For all the data infected the experts have a copy of backup that has been restored without problems.

“The nature of the attack and the identity of the attackers have been discovered, but we cannot publicize it since we are still working on the case,”

Deputy Oil Minister Hamdollah Mohammadnejad told FNA.

“the attack was carried out by virus penetration and was aimed at stealing and destroying data and information.”

The spokesman’s words are eloquent, the attack hasn’t had the sole intent to destroy data, but it is part of a complex strategy that aims to infiltrate the Iranian networks gathering sensible information.

“those who design and develop such viruses are pursuing specific goals”.

Obviously there is the announcement in tones of propaganda immediate resumption of operations at the site attacked, senior Iranian oil ministry officials announced earlier this week said their computer systems resumed normal operation on Wednesday.

Iranian Oil Ministry’s Spokesman Alireza Nikzad-Rahbar declared that main services of the ministry’s computer systems, including the Administrative Automation System were up again on Tuesday evening, and that all the Iranian government experts have adopted all precautions to minimize the impact of a cyber attack ensuring the business continuity.

Iranian government is aware of the destructive capabilities of cyber weapons and the importance of appropriate cyber strategy, rather it is believed that in this area, the Western enemy may be more vulnerable. On March 2012 the leader of the Islamic Revolution Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei has tasked Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad with the duty of establishing a Supreme Council of Cyberspace which is charged with protecting the Iranian cyberspace

The registered attack is not the only one against Iranian infrastructures, Iranian Sharg newspaperhas reported that hackers have attacked the computers of Iran’s ministry of science, of course also this time there aren’t damage. Iranian expert also in this occasion have noted that the hackers haven’t the only purpose to destroy data but they were more interested to steal information.

An analysis of activities in cyber space clear the escalation of cyber conflict in the Middle East with Israel as the main protagonists, and the emerging Iran and Lebanon. The detailed Middle East Cyber War Timeline is available on the web site of the collegue Paolo Passeri, following a brief list of the events.

The intensification of the attacks provides an indicator of the level of tension in the area, and portends a military intervention to date avoided only by the veto of countries like China and Russia backing the government in Tehran. The intense activity also impacts on the policies of leading western nations, U.S. in the lead. 

The Iran issue is beginning to worry the American government, and not only, that through a media campaign is trying to rally support for military intervention in the area. Attempts of diplomacy did not match the expected results allowing the government in Tehran to organize an alarming strategy. Recall that world experts believe that Iran can have its own nuclear arsenal within two years, this time the West will have to decide how to act and precede.

Very significant is the report “The Iranian Cyber Threat to the U.S. Homeland” Statement before the U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Homeland Security Subcommittee on Cybersecurity, Infrastructure Protection, and Security Technologies and Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence. In the document are analyzed the growing Iranian capabilities, the country expanding exploitation of cyberspace can be attributed to two principal geopolitical drivers:

1. The first are the Iranian regime’s efforts to counter Western influence and prevent the emergence of a “soft revolution” within its borders. That digital barrier has grown exponentially over the past three years, as Iran’s leadership has sought to domestic dissent and curtail the ability of its opponents to organize.
2. The second geopolitical driver of Iran’s interest in cyberspace relates to the expanding conflict with the West over its nuclear ambitions.

The report clarify the position of Teheran that is considering itself engaged in a cyber war with West, due this reason the Iranian regime is mobilizing in response launching an ambitious $1 billion governmental program to boost national cyber capabilities, acquiring new technologies, investing in cyber defense, and creating of a new army of cyber experts.

Where does the United States stand with regard to a response? The Obama administration has made cybersecurity a major area of policy focus since taking office in 2009, and the past year in particular has seen a dramatic expansion of governmental awareness of cyberspace as a new domain of conflict.

The U.S. government, in other words, has not yet even begun to get ready for cyberwar with Iran, and according the report it’s time to start it. The risk of attacks against infrastuctures located in US homeland is high and it will increase in coming months due a range of scenarios, from a renewed diplomatic impasse to a further strengthening of economic sanctions to the use of military force against Iranian nuclear facilities.

Never let the guard down!

Pierluigi Paganini

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/4799/intelligence/fear-iran-and-escalation-of-cyber-attacks.html?goback=.gde_37658_member_111511700

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PIERLUIGI PAGANINI: Iran, and her Oil Industry under cyber-attack, are we close to a military strike?

-LIMITED DISSEMINATION – I/Cy-WAR—SWG(A) -[Lifted]

IranianCyberWarfare/LinkedIN.com; US/1; ATTN: US/17…Order the Pizza …?

[ed.note: New BlackNET Intelligence Channel “IRAN/’Cy’-WAR—Special Working Group (Augmented)” is hereby instituted, without objection?

 BKNT Designator: As above - I/Cy-WAR—SWG(A)

Outside of  the obvious Members, additional BKNT-Volunteers are SOUGHT.

CONTACT: US/1@BKNT-HQ at the sender’s address above.

(Inside of the obvious is…obvious…?)

And Please welcome aboard the BlackNET ship-of-lollipops, our newest ADOPTEE, err.. Member, the below author, Pierluigi Paganini (no doubt a confirmed ‘foreign’ national—but that would depend on one’s perspective...]

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by paganinip on April 24th, 2012

A new cyber-attack against Iran, in particular this time the Oil Industry was the target of a Malware Attack. The news was widespread by Officials in the Iranian oil ministry, they say that their network and the country’s main oil export terminal were infected with a malware; due this event the government has taken temporarily systems offline. An instance of the virus used for the attacks was found in the control systems of Kharg Island, the place provides a sea port for the export of oil and extends Iranian territorial sea claims into the Persian Gulf. The operations inside the terminal continued, no recording interruption due to the attack. According Iranian officials only one server was compromised, it was used to provide public information.

We all remember that the nation in 2010 was victims of another cyber attack, when the Stuxnet worm infected control systems inside nuclear plant in Iran. worldwide experts recognized in Stuxnet agents a powerful cyber weapon used to stop the nuclear program of the Iranian government. Immediately, experts have thought of that episode was related to the discovery made in recent months of a platform for the creation of similar cyber weapons, the “Tilded Platform“, assuming that the new virus was created by the same team.  The first news reported in security sector say that the malware used in the attack is not related to Stuxnet, so meanwhile the Stuxnet was developed by foreign governments to attack the Iran, at the moment it’s impossible to make hypothesis on the source of the malware. According the declaration of an Iranian oil ministry spokesperson the virus attacks has infected public servers that were immediately isolated, no particular damage were reported.

The Mehr News Agency revealed the National Iranian Oil Company and other businesses were under attack on Sunday 22th April, no information has been exposed and the attacks were successfully mitigated. It’s clear that behind the attacks there is a defined strategy to mine the main sector of the country, and Oil sector is the most important. The Government of Teharan is involved in a cyber war with the United States and Israel, periodically it reports cyber-attacks to its nuclear and industrial sectors, always declaring that minor damage were caused. Earlier this year, head of Iran’s civil defense agency Gholam Reza Jalali said the energy sector of the country has been a main target of cyber-attacks over last years.

As usual in similar case are circulating news not confirmed by the official sources. Many expert are convinced it is early to hazard hypothesis of connection with Stuxnet and Duqu. The first news related to the incident indicates that only the website of the oil ministry that was hit during the attacks and that not control systems was infected. If confirmed of course we can resize the impact of incident reformulating new hypotheses on its origin.

John Bumgarner, a security specialist with the think tank U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit, declared to the Reuters Press that the purpose of similar malware is to attack the production processes erasing data and shutting down operations.

“The reason you would put a virus inside this network to erase data is because that causes those facilities to have to shut down” and to rebuild servers, he told Reuters.
“So during that time the production and refinery operations for Iran could be impacted. And depending on how the virus was written, it could be longer term.”

In the last months the Iran has been banned from the purchase of antivirus systems, a technological embargo with clear implications for the Stuxnet virus attacks and the need for the country to prevent further infections to industrial control systems for critical infrastructures. It was announced an international sanctions to stop the Government of Teheran from obtaining commercial anti-virus software, according to a senior Iranian intelligence official. The reply of Teharan was immediate, the announcement was been made public by FARS news agency, and Iranian Deputy National Security Minister for technical issues Ahangaran said the country is being forced to design its own anti-virus software due to the sanctions. Ahangaran said that Iran is unable update antivirus programs and combat Internet viruses because of the imposed ban.

To respond to the cyber-attacks and with the intent to be more active in the cyber warfare Iran has recently announced a series of cyber defense measures spearheaded by the Revolutionary Guards, the unit which already runs every key military program in Iran and many industries.  All the strategic servers of the government moved inside the country and for them special protection measures have taken, the Revolutionary Guard in March also set up an hack-proof communications network for its high-level officials.

   These are just last measures in order of times, we must consider that an emerging expertize in cyber warfare. Under Cyber warfare perspective we must consider Iranian expertise. During the protests after the disputed election in 2009 Iran has demonstrated to have the complete control of its cyberspace thanks the collaboration of western companies and to strategic alliance with technologic countries like China. The country is investing in cyber training program and in recruiting of young nationalist building a parallel covert cyber army already engaged to suppress domestic protest that could be easily employed like a cyber weapon against external enemies.

The Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps, IRGC, seems to have built one of the largest forces of hackers on the planet. “Emperor”, “Iran Hackers Sabotage” these are the names of the main group of hackers that during the last year have conducted several operation like destroy a government database or hack into two candidates’ websites. during the 2005 presidential election. If in terms of cyber offense Iran has a considerable force not so it can be said of cyber defense strategy.

Obviously not all hacking groups in Iran are under government control, emblematic is the case of a group that managed to carry out a fraud to the detriment of some banks in the country for several million dollars.

In May 2010, Ebrahim Jabbari, a provincial Revolutionary Guards commander, declared that the IRGC had the world’s second-largest cyber army at its disposal, the US intelligence is convinced of the potential of groups to the point of recognizing them as among the major cyber threats to the country.

In addition to cyber warriors and mercenaries, the Iran regime also has the control of the private IT firm Ashiyane Security Group, which has coordinated several cyber-attacks from Iran. Its illustrious victims are Mossad, Defence minister Ehud Barak, NASA and several websites in the Arab world. It is clear in my opinion that the cyber strategy aimed against Iran by Western governments are continuing to undermine the nuclear weapons ambitions of Teheran.

The embargo, in addition to reinforcing the belief that the dangerous virus was indeed developed by Israeli agents and / or the U.S., suggests that these countries are focusing their efforts in prelude to a conventional military offensive against Iran.
Are we also close to a military attacks against Iran?

Certainly events like this might make us think that the event is close, but I believe that its strategy against the Iranian government does not provide urgently the option of a military attack. The situation is very complex and there are interests too high that involve nations like Russia and China…

[…and ISRAEL, AZERBAIJAN, and GEORGIA;  and eventually, even IRAQ and TURKEY. (US/1)]

A possible U.S. or Israeli military attack could trigger a dangerous political situation with unpredictable consequences.

Pierluigi Paganini

http://securityaffairs.co/wordpress/4654/intelligence/iranoil-industry-under-cyber-attackare-we-close-to-a-military-strike.html?goback=.gmp_1271127.gde_1271127_member_110065323

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CyBER-BlackSEC--Ex-CIA-DDO Cofer Black on Cybersecurity at BlackHAT

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US/30; CID/2; US/12; RT/66; TSP/2; JAG/5; US/17

Former CIA official cites rise in government cybersecurity awareness

Michael S. Mimoso, Editorial Director
Published: 3 Aug 2011

LAS VEGAS – Both white hat and black hat security researchers alike today received a sobering warning from the Central Intelligence Agency’s former director of operations: The opportunity has never been greater to foster government cybersecurity awareness, now that the threat paradigm at a national defense level has evolved to include cybersecurity.

Cyber is going to be a key component of future conflict against nations or terror groups.

Cofer Black, former director of operations, Central Intelligence Agency

During a keynote address at the Black Hat 2011 conference, Cofer Black urged the security community to influence and educate government decision makers, many of whom are ignorant of the threats posed by cybercriminals and nations carrying out online attacks that target major corporations, government agencies and the defense industry.

“The issues that you’re involved in are today are of great value to decision makers,” Black stressed. “That is huge.”

Black said cybersecurity is prominent among the different categories, alongside kinetic and bacteriological attacks, featured the government’s ongoing threat assessments. As a comparison, he said during the Cold War, intelligence agencies progressed from highlighting potential chemical attacks, to later emphasizing bacteriological, radiological and nuclear attacks.

Black spent 28 years working for the CIA and was appointed director of the agency’s Counterterrorist Center in 1999 and coordinator for counterterrorism for the Department of State. He’s seen the threat of the Cold War, the rise of terrorism and now threats to industry and national security from online attacks. He cautioned that the signs are present and discussions are being held that allow for the contingency that physical, kinetic attacks could accompany serious hacks.

“I am here to tell you the Stuxnet attack is the rubicon of our future,” Black said. “I can’t say I understand how it was executed, but the important point is this is expensive to pull off, which means a nation-state was involved. Another important point is, things happening in your world may lead to physical destruction of national resources. This is huge.”

Responses to cyberattacks, however, are tricky because of the difficulty in tracing the origin of attacks and the lack of international coordination in such cases.
 
“Cyber is going to be a key component of future conflict against nations or terror groups,” Black said. “The problem is decision makers don’t understand the threats completely because they have not personally experienced them. They may hear it, but they don’t believe it.”

Black’s keynote comes a little more than a month before the tenth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on New York and Washington. Black drew parallels between the intelligence gathered pre-9/11 and what is happening with cybersecurity today.

In the years and months leading up to September 11, Black recalls the dismissive attitude decision makers had about Al Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden, viewing the terror group and its leader as more a of financier of terror, and not an initiator. The threat from Al Qaeda was labeled overblown inside some government circles and by the press as well. This remained the case, even as attacks escalated against Americans overseas, including the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings in Tanzania and Kenya, and in October 2000 against the U.S.S. Cole.

Black Hat 2011

See all our news coverage and exclusive videos from Black Hat 2011.

Black recalls advising the Bush administration as the transference of power from the Clinton administration began, that terrorism would be its greatest threat. However, Black said, there was no personal experience, no validation of the threat, and it was downplayed. In the summer of 2001, as the volume of intelligence grew about a major impending attack on the U.S., decision makers were briefed and advised to go to a “war footing”, yet, Black said, there were delays in taking action because the threat had yet to be validated.

“Men’s minds have difficulty adapting to things they have not personally experienced,” Black said.

Black’s point is the lead-up to 9/11 may be analogous to what’s happening with targeted persistent attacks carried out against the defense industry and other high-profile targets.

“The validation of that threat will come into your world,” Black said. “There is an analogy to the tech world in all of this and the situation in your world is far more challenging than you may appreciate.”

Related Topics: Security Awareness Training and Internal Threats-Information, Security Industry Market Trends, Predictions and Forecasts, Information Security Laws, Investigations and Ethics, VIEW ALL TAGS

http://searchsecurity.techtarget.com/news/2240039214/Former-CIA-official-cites-rise-in-government-cybersecurity-awareness

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-LA TIMES: AQ threatens LA Drone Makr--CITES Homeland Security as 'FIRST'

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Al Qaeda-linked website threatens Monrovia drone maker's executives

July 1, 2011 | 11:20 am

Federal authorities have warned corporate executives at a Monrovia-based military contractor that builds drone aircraft that they are among about 60 targets suggested by members of an Al Qaeda-connected website forum.

In the wake of the warning, AeroVironment and authorities in Monrovia have stepped up security at the company’s corporate headquarters on West Huntington Drive.

“The briefing we received from the Monrovia police is there is a threat and we are taking that threat seriously and credible. We are working with AeroVironment and Homeland Security to enhance security at the facility and surrounding area,” said Scott Ochoa, Monrovia’s city manager. He noted that the corporate headquarters is in the San Gabriel Valley suburb but that manufacturing is done elsewhere locally.

The list came from the Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Al Mujahedeen jihadist forum and was first made public on the Homeland Security Today website.

The security website obtained a jihadist “hit list” of 58 people that accompanied a June 6 Florida federal bulletin.

“Our police department is working with the federal government to ensure security at AeroVironment given the Al Qaeda threat,” added Mayor Mary Lutz.

FBI officials in Los Angeles would not immediately comment on the threat.        

Homeland Security sources familiar with the potential threat said the forum members named past and present members of the military leadership along with corporate executives of companies prominent in the war on terror. 

“All of the executives involved have been informed of the nature of the threat,” said a source, who asked that his name not be used. The source said the list was a suggestion of ideas rather than a specific plan. It was generated in response to a call to target Americans by former Southern California resident Adam Gadahn, a prominent member of Al Qaeda who grew up in Orange County and Riverside County.

AeroVironment manufactures miniature robotic unmannered aircraft, including the Raven, Wasp and Digital Puma. The tiny drones are  used to support troops in Afghanistan and in targeting Al Qaeda and its affiliates.

The targeting of corporate executives from military suppliers first came public in May.  At a trial in Chicago,  an accused terrorist, David Headley, acknowledged that a Pakistan-based branch of Al Qaeda had plotted to kill Robert Stevens, the head of Lockheed Martin. The company manufacturers drones prominently used in targeting Osama bin Laden and other members of the terror network.

The list came from the Al Qaeda-linked Ansar Al Mujahedeen jihadist forum and was first made public on the Homeland Security Today website.

The security website obtained a jihadist “hit list” of 58 people that accompanied a June 6 Florida federal bulletin.

CONTINUE READING Full Story HERE...

            http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/lanow/2011/07/al-qaeda-aerovironment-drone-monrovia.html