Mobile UPI  |   About UPI  |   UPI en Español  |   UPI Arabic  |   UPIU  |   My Account
Search:
Go

Spies hack into U.S. military computers

|
|
 
  
Published: April 21, 2009 at 9:01 PM

WASHINGTON, April 21 (UPI) -- Spies hacked into U.S. military computers, copying data that could threaten the effectiveness of U.S. fighter jets, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday.

In recent months, the newspaper said, someone was able to get into

Pentagon's $300 billion Joint Strike Fighter project and take several terabytes of information concerning design and electronics systems. Officials told the Journal it could make it easier for America's enemies to defend against the F-35 Lightning I fighter jet.

The Journal reported the Air Force's air-traffic-control system also was breached in recent months.

"There's never been anything like it," one source told the Journal, adding that other military and civilian agencies as well as private companies are affected. "It's everything that keeps this country going."

While former U.S. officials told the newspaper it appeared the attacks originated in China, the specific identity of the attackers and the extent of the damage to the U.S. defense program wasn't known. However, the hackers weren't able to access the most sensitive material, which is stored on computers not connected to the Internet, the Journal said.

© 2009 United Press International, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Any reproduction, republication, redistribution and/or modification of any UPI content is expressly prohibited without UPI's prior written consent.

Order reprints
  
Join the conversation
Most Popular Collections
The Tibetan Moniam Festival in China Super Bowl XLVI ticker tape victory parade Proposition 8 ruled unconstitutional in California
AARP Movies for Grownups Award Gala The Most Desirable Women of 2012 Snowy Owls make appearance in Washington
Additional Top News Stories
1 of 15
Rose McGowan at The Heart Truth's Red Dress Fall 2012 Collections at Mercedes-Benz Fashion Week In New York
View Caption
fark
You put a guy named Skeeter in charge of your charitable fund, of COURSE he's going to blow your...
Subby, for one, welcomes our new Pennsylvania Purple Squirrel overlords (with purple-pic)
The toughest place to be a train driver
"Can a man be 'slut-shamed?'" Well...yeah
Problem: You have a city full of people who have no ability whatsoever to parallel park. Solution:...
38KKK air bags keep woman safe in car crash