Infected USB drive blamed for '08 military cyber breach

US Deputy Defense Secretary reveals details

It was a USB drive loaded with malware.


In an article written for Foreign Affairs magazine, Lynn said the breach occurred when a single USB drive containing malicious code was inserted into a laptop computer at a US base in the Middle East. The malware, placed on the drive by a foreign intelligence agency, was uploaded to a network run by the US Central Command.


He did not say whether the malware allowed any classified or unclassified data to be stolen from US Defense networks. Nor did he offer clues as to which foreign intelligence agency may have been behind the intrusion.

Even so, Lynn described the hitherto classified incident as the "most significant breach of US military computers ever," saying it served as an important wake-up call for the military.




The incident highlights the enormous problems that can result from seemingly minor vulnerabilities, said JR Reagan, a analyst with Deloitte Consulting Services. "It brings to life what we have all feared for a long time from the small little holes in the dike that can really open up big problems," Reagan said.



Lynn's description of the USB incident is part of a broader article on the challenges the US military faces in securing its networks against foreign intelligence agencies. US military networks are probed thousands of a times a day, he said.

"Right now, more than 100 foreign intelligence organisations are trying to hack into the digital networks that undergird U.S. military operations," Lynn said.

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Tags USBSecurity IDwilliam lynn

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