Hackers Plundered Israeli Defense Firms that Built ‘Iron Dome’ Missile Defense System

  • 28 July 2014
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Although these attacks happened between Oct. 10, 2011 and August 13, 2012 the implications for many industries is serious. Is any stored data safe? I doubt it, the hackers always love a challenge.
 
28 Jul 14 Krebs On Security


 
"Three Israeli defense contractors responsible for building the “Iron Dome” missile shield currently protecting Israel from a barrage of rocket attacks were compromised by hackers and robbed of huge quantities of sensitive documents pertaining to the shield technology, KrebsOnSecurity has learned.
The never-before publicized intrusions, which occurred between 2011 and 2012, illustrate the continued challenges that defense contractors and other companies face in deterring organized cyber adversaries and preventing the theft of proprietary information.
https:// target=A component of the ‘Iron Dome’ anti-missile system in operation, 2011.
According to Columbia, Md.-based threat intelligence firm Cyber Engineering Services Inc. (CyberESI), between Oct. 10, 2011 and August 13, 2012, attackers thought to be operating out of China hacked into the corporate networks of three top Israeli defense technology companies, including Elisra Group, Israel Aerospace Industries, and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems."
 
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Phishing attack let Unit 61398 spend 4 months installing trojans and keyloggers.

by Liat Clark July 29 2014
 
http://cdn.arstechnica.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/iron_dome-640x426.jpg Iron DomeThe technology behind Iron Dome, the missile defense system Israel has been using since 2011, was allegedly stolen by Chinese military hackers.
That claim was made by Cyber Engineering Services to Brian Krebs of security news site Krebs On Security, and it identifies Elisra Group, Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI), and Rafael Advanced Defense Systems as the three defense companies that were compromised during the cyber assault. The perpetrators, Cyber Engineering Services says, are the same ones behind a spate of attacks that have come to light in the past few years, all attributed to Unit 61398, a Shanghai-based arm of the Chinese army. The five Chinese military officers indicted by the US earlier this year for allegedly hacking energy firms in the country also belong to the same unit.
 
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Userlevel 7
this defense system is supposed to be one of the best....yet hackers were able to penetrate their defenses...... I would say Israel better get their act together.
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@Antus67 wrote:
this defense system is supposed to be one of the best....yet hackers were able to penetrate their defenses...... I would say Israel better get their act together.
That is what I meant last night in the original article when I said "the implications for many industries is serious" If Israel's defence system can get hacked it is serious for other industries as well.
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@ wrote:
@Antus67 wrote:
this defense system is supposed to be one of the best....yet hackers were able to penetrate their defenses...... I would say Israel better get their act together.
That is what I meant last night in the original article when I said "the implications for many industries is serious" If Israel's defence system can get hacked it is serious for other industries as well.
You are 100% right on target and I second what you have said on this issue;)
Userlevel 7
Hi Anthony
 
I think that there is some confusion...it was not Iron Dome itself that was hacked but rather I think the back office systems of the manufacturers where the plans and details of the technology used.  The only reason that one would hack the Iron Dome unit itself, assuming that is possible, would be to prevent it working not to gather its secrets/technology.
 
I maybe wrong though, and even if not one would have thought that the back office systems would be better protected but then again one could say the same of the FBI, NSA, GCHQ, etc.
 
😉
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Perhaps these 2 articles may shed some light on what happened with the Irone Dome. 
 
http://motherboard.vice.com/read/the-iron-dome-hack-shows-phishing-is-still-effective-against-defense-contractors
 
http://www.timesofisrael.com/report-hackers-phish-iron-dome-plans-from-defense-firms/
 
 
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The following article is a update on Iron Dome Hacked
 
(Firm issues soft denial against Iron Dome hack)
 
By Darren Pauli, 30 Jul 2014
 
 
An Israeli defence firm linked to Israel's Iron Dome missile defence platform has denied reports it was hacked by Chinese attackers who made off with information on the military technology.
Israel Aerospace Industries (IAI) spokeswoman Eliana Fishler said in statement emailed to outlets including The Register that reports it had been popped were wrong.
 "The information reported regarding the leakage of sensitive information is incorrect," Fishler said.
"The publications refer to an attempt to penetrate the company's civilian non-classified internet network which allegedly occurred several years ago.
 
The Register/ full read here/ http://www.theregister.co.uk/2014/07/30/firm_issues_soft_denial_against_iron_dome_hack/

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