Pentagon Reveals Largest-Ever Cyber Theft

The New York Times reports:

The Defense Department suffered one of its worst digital attacks in history in March, when foreign hackers broke into the computers of a corporate contractor and obtained 24, 000 sensitive Pentagon files during a single intrusion, senior officials said on Thursday.

The disclosure came as the Pentagon released a strategy for military operations in cyberspace, embodying a belief that traditional passive programs for defending Pentagon data systems are insufficient in an era when espionage, crime, disruptions and attacks are increasingly carried out over the Internet.

In releasing the strategy, William J. Lynn III, the deputy defense secretary, disclosed that over the years “crucial” files stolen from defense industry data networks have included plans for missile tracking systems, satellite navigation devices, unmanned surveillance drones and top-of-the-line jet fighters.

Some of the stolen data was mundane, and included plans for small parts of tanks, airplanes and submarines, he said.

“But a great deal of it concerns our most sensitive systems, including aircraft avionics, surveillance technologies, satellite communications systems and network security protocols,” Mr. Lynn disclosed.