Computer System Under Attack

Commerce Department Targeted; Hackers Traced to China

By Alan Sipress

Washington Post Staff Writer
Friday, October 6, 2006; Page A21

Hackers operating through Chinese Internet servers have launched a debilitating attack on the computer system of a sensitive Commerce Department bureau, forcing it to replace hundreds of workstations and block employees from regular use of the Internet for more than a month, Commerce officials said yesterday.

The attack targeted the computers of the Bureau of Industry and Security, which is responsible for controlling U.S. exports of commodities, software and technology having both commercial and military uses. The bureau has stepped up its activity in regulating trade with China in recent years as the United States increased its exports of such dual-use items to the growing Chinese market.

This marked the second time in recent months that U.S. officials confirmed that a major attack traced to China had succeeded in penetrating government computers.

"Through established security procedures, BIS discovered a targeted effort to gain access to BIS user accounts," said Commerce Department spokesman Richard Mills. "We have no evidence that BIS data has been lost or compromised."

The significance of the attacks was underscored in a series of e-mails sent to BIS employees by acting Undersecretary of Commerce Mark Foulon since July, informing them of "a number of serious threats to the integrity of our systems and data." In an August e-mail, Foulon reported that the bureau had "identified several successful attempts to attack unattended BIS workstations during the overnight hours." Then, early last month, he wrote: "It has become clear that Internet access in itself is a vulnerability that we cannot mitigate. We have tried incremental steps and they have proven insufficient."

A source familiar with the security breach said the hackers had penetrated the computers with a "rootkit" program, a stealthy form of software that allows attackers to mask their presence and then gain privileged access to the computer system. The attacks were traced to Web sites registered on Chinese Internet service providers, Commerce officials said. "We determined they were owned by the Chinese," a senior Commerce official said. He did not say who in China was responsible or whether officials had even been able to identify the culprits. Although bureau employees were informed of the problem in July, commerce officials declined to say when the attacks were discovered and how long they had been going on. Only over time did bureau officials realize the extent of the damage from the breach.

"The more we learned, the more we did," the senior official said.

Since Sept. 1, the bureau has blocked employees from accessing the Internet from their own computers. Instead, several separate computers unconnected to the BIS computer network have been set up so employees can try to continue carrying out their duties.

Commerce officials have also decided they cannot salvage the workstations that employees had been using and instead will build an entirely new system for the bureau in the coming months with "clean hardware and clean software," the senior official said. Foulon told employees in late August that they hoped to replace all the bureau’s workstations within three months.

The official acknowledged that some of the emergency measures have made it more difficult for the bureau to communicate with other government agencies and the public, including companies that turn to BIS for export licenses.

In July, the State Department confirmed that hackers in China had broken into its computers in Washington and overseas. Last year, U.S. officials reported that the Defense Department and other U.S. agencies were under relentless attack from unidentified computers in China.

China has long been a focus of high-level attention at BIS and was the destination for the largest number of licenses approved by the bureau in 2004, according to the bureau’s most recent annual report. In weighing applications for licenses, bureau officials seek to protect U.S. national security interests without hamstringing legitimate commercial trade.

Commerce officials recently reported that they had taken significant steps to enhance computer security at the department, both by deploying new software and improving the management of the system.

These steps came after the General Accounting Office (since renamed the Government Accountability Office) issued a scathing report five years ago, which concluded that "significant and pervasive computer security weaknesses place Department of Commerce systems at risk." The report found that outsiders could gain unauthorized access to the computer system and access confidential data. "Intruders could disrupt the operations of systems that are critical to the mission of the department," the report found.

 

 

 

 

 

06/10/2006 21:09 - Ekonomi/Headline News

 

Metrotvnews.com, Jakarta: Presiden Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono mengimbau pengusaha Indonesia agar menanamkan modal di negeri sendiri, bukan di luar negeri. Untuk menarik investor swasta, pemerintah akan melakukan paket perbaikan iklim investasi serta meningkatkan pembangunan infrastruktur. Selain itu, Presiden menegaskan bahwa pemerintah juga akan menerapkan Undang-undang Pajak baru yang mendukung investasi. "Saya imbau saudara-saudara kita yang dapat berusaha di negeri sendiri,…mari kita gunakan peluang ini dengan sebaik-baiknya. Saya juga mengajak jajaran pemerintah pusat dan daerah, janganlah terus kita biarkan ekonomi biaya tinggi terus berlangsung di negeri ini. Perizinan, perlakuan terhadap dunia usaha makin ke depan harus makin baik, karena kita memerlukan kebangkitan dunia usaha untuk pencipataan lapangan pekerjaan," papar Presiden di Jakarta, Jumat (6/10). Setelah konferensi pers ini, Presiden Yudhoyono langsung memimpin rapat terbatas kabinet membahas revisi peraturan pemerintah (PP) Nomor 24 dan 25 tahun 2005 tentang Keuangan Daerah. Rapat yang dihadiri Menteri Koordinator Perekonomian Boediono serta pejabat tinggi lainnya diisi dengan paparan Menteri Dalam Negeri M. Ma`ruf tentang revisi PP 24 dan 25 sebelum dirampungkan. Dalam rapat terbatas yang berlangsung kurang dari satu jam itu, Presiden memberikan arahan untuk revisi PP mengenai kedudukan keuangan derah. Presiden menghendaki rancangan PP dikemukakan sebelum disepakati agar dapat mengawasi langsung kebijaan-kebijakan yang penting sebelum ditandatangani Presiden nantinya.(DEN)

 

 

06/10/2006 12:20 - Nusantara/Headline News

 

Metrotvnews.com, Jakarta: Belum lama sepeninggal bayi kembar siam Safitri, bayi dengan kelainan genetik kembali menyedot perhatian para dokter maupun publik negeri ini. Bayi kembar siam yang disebut torako abdominal ini lahir di Rumah Sakit Umum Tabanan Bali, Kamis Siang. Bayi perempuan berbobot tiga setengah kilogram ini lahir dengan dua kepala, tiga kaki, dan tiga tangan serta satu jantung dan dua paru-paru. Karena kelainan tersebut, anak pasangan Marce Pangi dan Malvia Adolonga asal Kupang, Nusatenggara Timur ini dirujuk ke Rumah Sakit Sanglah, Denpasar, Bali, untuk mendapat perawatan lebih lanjut. Dokter I Wayan Sutarga dari Rumah Sakit Sanglah mengungkapkan dari pemeriksaan awal, kondisi bayi masih stabil meski terlahir dengan kelainan genetik. Rencananya, pihak RS Sanglah akan membentuk tim penanganan medis khusus untuk bayi kembar ini. Sebab, kondisi sang bayi, termasuk kategori sulit ditangani secara medis. Orang tua bayi kembar ini kini masih shock dengan kelainan yang diderita anak mereka. Namun, mereka tetap berharap para dokter bisa menangani bayi mereka.(BEY)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

06/10/2006 16:09 - Internasional/Headline News

 

Metrotvnews.com, Jakarta: Seorang warga negara Indonesia, Eddy Purwono, dilaporkan diculik oleh kelompok bersenjata di Nigeria pada 3 Oktober silam. Menurut Juru Bicara Departemen Luar Negeri Desra Percaya di Jakarta, Jumat (6/10), korban adalah seorang pilot helikopter dari perusahaan jasa penerbangan yang disewa oleh sebuah perusahaan minyak di Nigeria. Desra menyatakan, Eddy diculik saat terjadi penyerbuan oleh kelompok bersenjata di sebuah kompleks perumahan di Kota Aket, Negara Bagian Cross River, Nigeria. Selain Eddy, kelompok ini juga menculik tiga warga negara Inggris, satu warga negara Malaysia dan satu warga negara Rumania. Penculik meminta tebusan US$ 10 juta untuk ketujuh sanderanya. Saat ini, menurut Desra, pemerintah melalui Kedutaan Besar RI di Lagos, tengah mengusahakan untuk kebebasan Eddy dengan bekerja sama dengan pemerintah Nigeria dan pemerintah enam korban lainnya.(DEN)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Meeting on Iran Disrupted by Rice Delay

By THOMAS WAGNER

The Associated Press
Friday, October 6, 2006; 11:06 AM

LONDON — A meeting of world powers Friday on whether to refer Iran to the U.N. Security Council over its nuclear program was disrupted when Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice’s flight was delayed, giving leaders little time to reach a consensus and making it unlikely.

The United States has led calls for sanctions against Iran, and even before the meeting was going ahead _ without Rice _ Russia warned against "extreme" measures in an indication of the reluctance to move decisively.

European Union foreign policy chief Javier Solana told security experts in Paris that "the door to negotiations is and will be always open."

The officials from the United States, Britain, France, Germany, Russia and China were to convene later Friday _ but there appeared to be little agreement going into the meeting on issuing a stern response to Tehran.

The representatives were expected to confirm that the European-Iranian negotiations are at a standstill and issue a statement referring the Iran file back to the Security Council and stating the principles they agree on, a senior council diplomat said, speaking on condition of anonymity because talks are still taking place.

Those talks had been seen as a final attempt to avoid a full-blown confrontation between Iran and the Security Council after Tehran ignored an Aug. 31 deadline to suspend uranium enrichment _ a key step toward making nuclear weapons _ or face punishment.

Plans for the session were thrown into question, however, after Rice’s flight from Iraq to London was delayed by about two hours because of mechanical problems on her C-17 military transport.

Sean McCormack, the State Department spokesman who was traveling with Rice, said she would join the talks in progress but that Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov would not be able to stay later than scheduled. For that reason, the six officials would not be able to finish their work and issue a statement about Iran, he said.

Instead, they would accomplish as much as possible and hold a telephone conference Monday or Tuesday, McCormack said.

"I think it is going to be a discussion first of all hearing from Solana. They can talk about what they hear from the Iranians," the spokesman said.

During her delay in Iraq, Rice spoke with Solana and the British and Russian foreign ministers to work out the revised plan, deciding to get as much done as they could in their limited meeting time, McCormack said.

To avoid alienating the Russians and the Chinese _ both major commercial partners of Iran _ any sanctions are likely to be relatively mild, including embargoes on missile and nuclear technology, and possible travel bans and other penalties on Iranian officials involved in their country’s nuclear program.

06/10/2006 14:11 - Internasional/Headline News

 

Metrotvnews.com, Washington DC: Sebuah panel etik Majelis Permusyawaratan Rakyat Amerika Serikat melancarkan penyelidikan mengenai skandal seks yang mengguncang Partai Republik, kubu Presiden George Walker Bush. Jumat (6/10), Dennis Hastert, tokoh senior Partai Republik di senat meminta maaf mengenai pesan seks yang vulgar yang dikirim oleh mantan anggota senat partai itu, Mark Foley kepada beberapa pembantunya yang berusia di bawah umur di Kongres. Namun, Hastert kembali menolak seruan bagi pengunduran dirinya. Sementara Ketua Komite Atik Anggota Dewan Legislatif, Richard Hastings dari Partai Republik mengatakan semua anggota Kongres terkejut dengan laporan mengenai pesan yang dikirim oleh Foley kepada seorang remaja laki-laki. Kubu Partai Republik sendiri sedang berusaha keras untuk tetap menguasai Kongres dalam pemungutan suara 7 November mendatang.(BEY)

 

 

 

 

 

 

06/10/2006 17:04 - Hukum & Kriminal/Headline News

 

Metrotvnews.com, Jakarta: Kepala Divisi Humas Mabes Polri Inspektur Jenderal Polisi Paulus Parwoto mengatakan bahwa Mabes Polri tidak punya kepentingan banyak terhadap Brigadir Jenderal Purnawirawan TNI Erick Wotulo dan tiga rekannya yang ditahan pemerintah Amerika Serikat karena terkait perdagangan senjata ilegal. Karena itu, Mabes Polri tidak perlu meminta ekstradisi terhadap Erick dan tiga rekannya. Padahal, diakui Paulus, selain ke kelompok Macan Tamil Elam, WNI kelompok perdagangan senjata ilegal ini juga ditengarai memasok senjatanya ke dalam negeri. Pada kesempatan lain, Kepala Polri Jenderal Polisi Sutanto membantah Erick pernah mendapat End User Sertifacate dari Mabes Polri untuk berhubungan dengan pabrik senjata. Di tempat terpisah, Juru Bicara Departemen Luar Negeri Desra Percaya mengatakan bahwa pemerintah telah memperoleh akses untuk bertemu dengan empat WNI yang ditangkap aparat keamanan AS di Guam, karena terkait perdagangan senjata ilegal. Menurut Desra, sejumlah pejabat konsuler Indonesia dikirim ke Guam untuk memastikan hak-hak dasar keempat WNI tersebut tidak dilanggar. Desra juga mengemukakan keempat WNI tersebut kini dalam keadaan sehat. Mengenai pemindahan keempatnya dari Guam ke Baltimore, Maryland, hingga kini masih belum dapat dipastikan. Desra mengatakan, pemerintah juga berusaha memfasilitasi Brigadir Jenderal Purnawirawan Erick Wotulo dan kawan-kawan untuk bertemu dengan keluarga mereka. Apabila terbukti bersalah keempatnya akan dihukum hingga 15 tahun penjara dan denda US$ 500 ribu.(DEN)