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The United States Department of Energy has been attacked by hackers. The unknown assailants reportedly gained access to employee personal information.
News agency Reuters recently acquired a letter between the US Department of Energy (DOE) and its employees. In that letter, the DOE admits that the attack "resulted in the unauthorized disclosure of employee and contractor Personally Identifiable Information."
Reports suggest that the attack occurred during the middle of January 2013. However, it remains unknown who was behind the attack or what motivated the security breach.
It's also not clear if the attack targeted a specific sub-agency within the DOE, such as the Energy Information Administration (which publishes data related to the oil, gas, and electricity markets).
The attack is sure to provoke new claims that the Department of Energy suffers from weak cyber security.
These criticisms have been made before, and specifically after USB memory drives containing sensitive DOE documents were discovered in an illegal methamphetamine lab in 2006. Why the drug producers had these documents in their possession remains unclear.
That type of information is probably guarded by the most hackyest of hackers working for the man, ergo, student loan debt will ALWAYS exist!
Originally posted by CaticusMaximus
I think these hackers should do the nations people a favor and do something very meaningful, like wiping out all student loan information / debts.
Now Im not sure how exactly that information is stored or if its possible to do... but Id like to see something more than employee personal data being hacked.
Originally posted by rickymouse
This wouldn't be a problem if we were using paper like we did years ago. Seems like computers and business don't mix well if they are hooked to the net. They replace workers, taxpayers, with very expensive software that needs upgrading every few years. The little savings they have makes it so there are less customers and taxpayers. The computer companies are getting richer and the businesses and government poorer and their whole systems are at risk of being hacked. We need to smarten up and take these things offline and start snailmail and local buying again to make sure everyone is working.
Originally posted by jibeho
....
Yikes!! Not good and one would assume the tightest of security tolerances within the DOE.... Apparently nothing is safe any more...
... [the DOE] also promised to "implement a full remediation plan" once "the full nature and extent of this incident is known."
WASHINGTON, Sept 29 (Reuters) - The U.S. government's "Fort Knox" of weapons-grade uranium storage has ended a contract with a unit of an international security firm two months after an 82-year-old nun and other nuclear activists broke into the site.
The nun, Megan Rice, and two others cut perimeter fences to reach the outer wall of a building where enriched uranium was stored. The site was shut temporarily after the breach.
An investigation by the Energy Department's inspector general last month found a security camera had been broken for about six months and was part of a backlog of repairs needed for security at the facility.
The NNSA repeated on Saturday that Energy Secretary Steven Chu has said the incident was an important "wake-up call" for the entire nuclear complex.
"The security of our nation's nuclear material is the Department's most important responsibility, and we have no tolerance for federal or contractor personnel who cannot or will not do their jobs," said NNSA spokesman Joshua McConaha.
Originally posted by jibeho
Originally posted by rickymouse
This wouldn't be a problem if we were using paper like we did years ago. Seems like computers and business don't mix well if they are hooked to the net. They replace workers, taxpayers, with very expensive software that needs upgrading every few years. The little savings they have makes it so there are less customers and taxpayers. The computer companies are getting richer and the businesses and government poorer and their whole systems are at risk of being hacked. We need to smarten up and take these things offline and start snailmail and local buying again to make sure everyone is working.
You make a good point..
In the old days, they would have to make a physical breach of a facility then another breach of a vault or locked storage to access the PAPER. Much more involved and thus less likely back then. More reliance on insiders... Now everything is up for grabs. Makes me feel dirty....
I want paper again!!
Originally posted by CaticusMaximus
I think these hackers should do the nations people a favor and do something very meaningful, like wiping out all student loan information / debts.
Now Im not sure how exactly that information is stored or if its possible to do... but Id like to see something more than employee personal data being hacked.
Originally posted by Maxmars
Here's the interesting tidbit...
The attack is sure to provoke new claims that the Department of Energy suffers from weak cyber security.
These criticisms have been made before, and specifically after USB memory drives containing sensitive DOE documents were discovered in an illegal methamphetamine lab in 2006. Why the drug producers had these documents in their possession remains unclear.
Bolding emphasis is mine
Now the DOE political appointee is resigning (unexpectedly) and the breach, while 'run-of-the-mill' by comparison to others has occurred... are they related?
www.infopackets.com
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