http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-41590614
Sensitive information about Australia's defence programmes has been stolen in an "extensive" cyber hack.
About 30GB of data was compromised in the hack on a government contractor, including details about new fighter planes and navy vessels. The data was commercially sensitive but not classified, the government said. It did not know if a state was involved.
Australian cyber security officials dubbed the mystery hacker "Alf", after a character on TV soap Home and Away.
The breach began in July last year, but the Australian Signals Directorate (ASD) was not alerted until November. The hacker's identity is not known. "It could be one of a number of different actors," Defence Industry Minister Christopher Pyne told the Australian Broadcasting Corp on Thursday. "It could be a state actor, [or] a non-state actor. It could be someone who was working for another company." Mr Pyne said he had been assured the theft was not a risk to national security.
(Score: 2) by gawdonblue on Tuesday October 17 2017, @09:04PM (2 children)
China is certainly one of the favourites, but it also is very likely to have been industrial espionage from one of the five eyes partners on behalf of their companies. The USA has a very long history of spying on their partners for commercial gain, while the UK isn't exactly unknown to do it either.
I just hope Christopher Pyne can fix it.
(Score: 2) by arslan on Tuesday October 17 2017, @10:12PM
Nah I doubt it. Given this is not sensitive data and China's got a deep hand in our economy (read politicians) here, they can probably get these kind of data easily without much hassle. If I were to guess a state actor, assuming it is a state actor, probably North Korea given we're pretty much the American's sock puppet as well on the military front, yea we've taking it in on all sides - pretty sad.
(Score: 2) by coolgopher on Wednesday October 18 2017, @04:06AM
Of course he can! He's a fixer! He's already fixed it! He just wants it to be a surprise for you. Because, you know, he's a fixer; he's fixed it!
(for those not in the know, youtube "Pyne fixer" for a truly cringe-worthy interview)