US thinks Iran behind cyberattack

News > Sports

US thinks Iran behind cyberattack

Published: 13 Oct 2012 at 08.49
Online news: Sports

The United States believes Iran was behind a major cyberattack on Saudi Arabia's state oil company and a Qatari gas firm, a former US official who has worked on cybersecurity issues said.

File photo shows a flame from a Saudi Aramco oil installion in the desert near the oil-rich area of Khouris. The United States believes Iran was behind a major cyberattack on Saudi Arabia's state oil company and a Qatari gas firm, a former US official who has worked on cybersecurity issues said.

In a major cybersecurity speech on Thursday, Defense Secretary Leon Panetta issued a veiled warning to Tehran that Washington is ready to take preemptive action to protect US computer networks, the former official said.

This article is older than 60 days, which we reserve for our premium members only.You can subscribe to our premium member subscription, here.

Forum

Your comments

wakeup
Post : 760
Send message

Discussion 8 : 15 Oct 2012 at 20.438
Post this to my Facebook
#5, the largest population of Jews living in the Middle East, outside of Israel is in Iran. Despite being a minority, they have been given 3 permanent seats within Iran's parliament. Despite being offered money and significant political pressure to leave (by Israel), they have decided to stay. Read "Which Path to Persia?" where US-Israeli policy makers admit Iran seeks to avoid war, and poses a threat only to Western hegemony, not the security of either the US or Israel.
Like dislike 1 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment
wakeup
Post : 760
Send message

Discussion 7 : 15 Oct 2012 at 20.357
Post this to my Facebook
The governments of both the US and Israel have openly conspired for years in their policy papers to use covert means to provoke Iran, as well as fabricate provocations in order to justify war. Look up, "Which Path to Persia?" written by US policy makers for the Fortune 500 funded Brookings Institution. A signed confession. Similar machinations have been employed versus Syria, Libya, and many other nations.
Like dislike 1 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment
bkk-farang
Post : 2,310
Send message

Discussion 6 : 13 Oct 2012 at 19.506
Post this to my Facebook
@hillfarang: No, I was never in Israel, or in Iran or anywhere near that area. Over the years I met a couple of people from both countries and I had no problems with neither of them.
When you write about vibrant Israel you seem to forget their aggressive settlement policy and what a substantial part of Israelis call “their god given land”. I saw enough about those crazy and aggressive settlers (not in person but in the media) to know Israel has its fair share of lunatics.
Iran has for sure also enough lunatics but I am not able to tell if a majority of people there are crazy Jew hating radicals – somehow I doubt that.
Coming back to the article and (cyber) war from one country against another: It’s enough that there are some radicals who seek to destroy someone else country. And I think we can agree that there are enough nutters in Iran and Israel. And of course the USA has also more than enough of them…
Like dislike 1 people liked / 0 people disliked this comment
hillfarang
Post : 1,308
Send message

Discussion 5 : 13 Oct 2012 at 14.335
Post this to my Facebook
D@4 Your comparison of Israel & Iran is simply not true! It's just fashionable political correctness of the left. I'll bet that you've never even been to Israel... (I lived & worked there for 14 months). Facts I SAW: Israel is a vibrant democracy with ARAB MK's, allows Islamic mosques & calls to prayer, has admissions to Israeli Universities, has a vibrant economy, allows Christianity & Christmas, tolerant to women's rights & gay matters, has an independent (left leaning) judiciary, has produced so many inventions & Nobel prize winners, etc.

Not only is Iran & the rest of the ME none of these things, do you know that Jews cannot worship (or live!) in many Arab ME countries! Iran prosecutes & penalizes women & gays (who live freely in Israel. Stop spouting propaganda about the non-people (Pals) & go there & check it out. Israel took in their refugees but not Egypt, KSA, etc. I'll bet that you wouldn't / live in Iran, but I thrived in Israel (freedom).
Like dislike 2 people liked / 3 people disliked this comment
bkk-farang
Post : 2,310
Send message

Discussion 4 : 13 Oct 2012 at 12.094
Post this to my Facebook
@hillfarang #2 you write “cyber attacks, and nuclear ambitions require tough action beyond economic sanctions & "talk-talk-talk.”
So when will the USA start its tough action against Israel? When will they start economic sanctions against the country which has not just ambitions but real nuclear weapons? And when will the USA act against the developers from Stuxnet, one of the most sophisticated cyber-attacks?
Like dislike 6 people liked / 3 people disliked this comment
bkk-farang
Post : 2,310
Send message

Discussion 3 : 13 Oct 2012 at 11.553
Post this to my Facebook
It’s good that “American officials” report and condemn cyber-attacks. These attacks can be dangerous and deadly like conventional warfare.
But somehow I must have missed the American condemnation about the Stuxnet worm which targeted Iran’s nuclear facilities. In Wikipedia we can read “Kaspersky Lab concluded that the sophisticated attack could only have been conducted "with nation-state support” and “It has been speculated that Israel and the United States may have been involved.”
So is it possible that the USA condemns cyber-attacks when they suspect the attacks come from Iran and target America and its allies but when the USA launches these attacks themselves with Israel together and the target is Iran then that is perfectly alright? Double standards?
Like dislike 9 people liked / 4 people disliked this comment
hillfarang
Post : 1,308
Send message

Discussion 2 : 13 Oct 2012 at 11.452
Post this to my Facebook
USA is still too involved in Afghanistan (not much of a threat) and not Iran whose support of terrorists in Lebanon, cyber attacks, and nuclear ambitions require tough action beyond economic sanctions & "talk-talk-talk."

Sadly, they only understand & respect force.
Like dislike 8 people liked / 4 people disliked this comment
robins
Post : 697
Send message

Discussion 1 : 13 Oct 2012 at 11.271
Post this to my Facebook
Another accusation from the same evil people that accused Iraq of having weapons of mass destruction. A more appropriate headline would be "US Claims to Think...."
Like dislike 6 people liked / 9 people disliked this comment

US thinks Iran behind cyberattack | Bangkok Post: news