Facebook Network Hit by 'Sophisticated' Attack.
Facebook Network Hit by
'Sophisticated' Attack.
SAN FRANCISCO -
Facebook said Friday its computer system was "targeted in a sophisticated
attack" last month, but that it found no evidence any user data was
compromised.
The company said in a blog post that malware came from an
infected website of a mobile developer and that "we remediated all
infected machines, informed law enforcement, and began a significant
investigation that continues to this day."
The attackers used a previously unseen exploit taking advantage
of a flaw in Java software made by Oracle, which was alerted to the situation
and released a patch the first of February, according to Facebook.
The hackers appeared to be targeting developers and technology
firms based on the website they chose to booby-trap with malicious code.
"Facebook was not alone in this attack," the Northern
California-based company said.
"It is clear that others were attacked and infiltrated
recently as well." The US intelligence community has concluded that
America is the target of a massive cyber-espionage campaign that is threatening
its competitiveness, The Washington Post reported just days ago.
Citing unnamed officials, the newspaper said the conclusion is
contained in the National Intelligence Estimate, a classified report that
represents the consensus view of the US intelligence community.
Early this month Twitter said it was hammered by a cyber attack
similar to those that recently hit major Western news outlets, and that the
passwords of about 250,000 users were stolen.
"This attack was not the work of amateurs, and we do not
believe it was an isolated incident," Twitter information security
director Bob Lord said in a blog post at the time.
Lord said there was an "uptick in large-scale security
attacks aimed at US technology and media companies," as he told of Twitter
detecting attempts this week to get unauthorized access to data in the firm's
network.
The attack coincided with the revelation of several high-profile
security breaches. The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal said that
they had been hacked, and pointed to attackers from China.
It was unknown whether the cyberattack on San Francisco-based
Twitter was related to high-powered hacker assaults on Facebook, the Times or
the Journal.
Brazen cyberattacks on America's most high-profile media outlets
revived concerns over Chinese hackers, who analysts say are likely linked to
the secretive Beijing government.
The Times and the Journal reported that their computer networks
had been compromised, alleging it was an effort by the Chinese government to
spy on news media operating in the country.
The administration of President Barack Obama is trying to
counter the electronic theft of trade secrets by lodging formal protests,
expelling diplomatic personnel, imposing travel and visa restrictions, and
complaining to the World Trade Organization, the Post said.
hmmmmm nothing is secure
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