Home Hackers Japan Defense Contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Falls Victim to Hacking Spree

Japan Defense Contractor Mitsubishi Heavy Industries Ltd. Falls Victim to Hacking Spree

Posted: September 21, 2011

hacker-attack-japan-mitsubishi-heavy-industriesJapan recently announced one of its biggest defense contractors, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., fell victim to the scavenger hunt of hackers looking for proprietary and confidential data. Reportedly, more than 45 servers and 38 PCs used or connected to 10 of its facilities were found containing some form of malware able to collect and report stolen data to a C&C or third-party server.

A company rep acknowledged theft of system data, i.e. IP addresses and such, but felt crucial data about technologies and its defense products, including submarine, missile and nuclear power plant components, were kept secure.

This news comes on the heels of several high-profile hacking sprees, including targeting of two major US defense contractors, Lockheed-Martin and L3 Communications. Interestingly enough, the Japan defense contractor also has deep ties to US aerospace and defense firms, including Boeing.

So who is behind these strategic online attacks? While there is much speculation, authorities and government officials have yet to name the culprit. However, with the price tag of cybercrime being so rich, somewhere in the billions, no wonder its soil continues to be fruitful, churning out new malware and birthing new criminals each and every day.

Conspiracy theorists worry such well planned attacks could be the underlining of a new type of war, one that is fought and won on the fifth domain and battlefield of cyberspace. An emerging winner and intellectual superpower could control such things as air traffic-control systems, digitally-run freight and metro trains, electrical grids, orbiting satellites, financial institutions, connected oil refineries and pipelines, military email systems, just to paint a resulting picture. Connectivity on the Internet is wide spread and any major interruption could greatly impact society as a whole.

Real life denial-of-service (DOS) attacks can paralyze businesses or financial institutions who heavily depend on website traffic by

Whether in theory or actuality, one thing is clear. Cyberspace is fast becoming a hostile environment that lends for stealth Internet security, better defined policies and regulations, and stiff penalties and punishment. And while it appears these latest attacks against the defense industry may have gotten big brother's attention, what does it really mean to the everyday PC user?

Let's face it, the first level of security starts at home. Until PC users take Internet security serious and better protect their systems and data, cybercrime will continue growing at an alarming rate. Some simple ways you can reduce your chances of becoming victimized by cybercrime is to adhere to the following:

  • Ensure your firewall is engaged.
  • Only trust reputable antimalware software and look for solutions containing an antirootkit to combat aggressive malware. Also make sure your antimalware solution never sleeps and updates its definitions around the clock.
  • Only load software that you intend to use. Software that is unused is likely to be outdated and may contain an un-patched vulnerability.
  • Do not ignore notifications to upgrade or patch software or hardware vulnerabilities.
  • Use strong passwords and restrict user privileges.
  • Do not pirate! It is illegal and a bedsore for viruses.
  • Be cautious when downloading freeware and reject downloads that force adware and spyware onto your system.
  • Abort programs or tools that are difficult to uninstall or that makes system changes without your permission.
  • Delete spam altogether and always verify sources of emails before clicking on links and attachments. Hackers love to spoof accounts and deceive PC users.
  • Schedule regular scans and at the first hint of an invasion, i.e. system starts acting weird, rebooting unexpectedly, browser redirects, etc., run a scan to confirm suspicions. Then act fast to remove malware! Always change passwords and security credentials to minimize hacking of your online accounts.

In addition to your company's internal guidelines, the above should be used as a rule of thumb when using the internet in general.

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