U.S. officials have revealed that 24,000 files containing sensitive Pentagon – national defense – information were stolen from a defense industry computer network last March.
By whom? We are told only that the theft was by cyberattack by a foreign country. We don’t know much more, but it was considered to be a serious breach.
What is a cyberattack? In this case, it involved seeking sensitive inside information from a computer-based system without permission.
What foreign government is responsible for the attack? Deputy Secretary of Defense William Lynn said, “We have a pretty good idea.” He wouldn’t elaborate.
The Pentagon reportedly operates 15,000 computer networks – with 7 million computers around the world. Obviously, many foreign enemies – and even some friends – are curious about information the United States has in its defense-related computers. Some seek by unlawful means to find out.
How serious is the compromising of 24,000 Pentagon files by a foreign government? We’ll probably never know – unless something tragic happens to reveal the importance of the theft.