Federal Web Sites Knocked Out by Cyber Attack
July 8th, 2009Via: AP:
A widespread and unusually resilient computer attack that began July 4 knocked out the Web sites of several government agencies, including some that are responsible for fighting cyber crime, The Associated Press has learned.
The Treasury Department, Secret Service, Federal Trade Commission and Transportation Department Web sites were all down at varying points over the holiday weekend and into this week, according to officials inside and outside the government. Some of the sites were still experiencing problems Tuesday evening.
Federal government officials refused to publicly discuss any details of the cyber attack, and would only generally acknowledge that it occurred. It was not clear whether other government sites also were attacked.
Others familiar with the outage, which is called a denial of service attack, said that the fact that the government Web sites were still being affected three days after it began signaled an unusually lengthy and sophisticated attack. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak on the matter.
The Homeland Security Department confirmed that officials had received reports of “malicious Web activity” and they were investigating the matter, but had no further comment. Two government officials acknowledged that the Treasury and Secret Service sites were brought down, and said the agencies were working with their Internet service provider to resolve the problem.
Ben Rushlo, director of Internet technologies at Keynote Systems, called it a “massive outage” and said problems with the Transportation Department site began Saturday and continued until Monday, while the FTC site was down Sunday and Monday.
Keynote Systems is a mobile and Web site monitoring company based in San Mateo, Calif. The company publishes data detailing outages on Web sites, including 40 government sites it watches.
According to Rushlo, the Transportation Web site was “100 percent down” for two days, so that no Internet users could get through to it. The FTC site, meanwhile, started to come back online late Sunday, but even on Tuesday Internet users still were unable to get to the site 70 percent of the time.
“This is very strange. You don’t see this,” he said. “Having something 100 percent down for a 24-hour-plus period is a pretty significant event.”
He added that, “The fact that it lasted for so long and that it was so significant in its ability to bring the site down says something about the site’s ability to fend off (an attack) or about the severity of the attack.”
Dr. David Kelly Was Writing a Book
July 7th, 2009See:
David Kelly: Secret Knife Evidence Points to Murder
and
David Kelly’s Closest Female Confidante on Why He Couldn’t Have Killed Himself
Via: Daily Express:
WEAPONS inspector David Kelly was writing a book exposing highly damaging government secrets before his mysterious death.
He was intending to reveal that he warned Prime Minister Tony Blair there were no weapons of mass destruction anywhere in Iraq weeks before the British and American invasion.
He had several discussions with a publisher in Oxford and was seeking advice on how far he could go without breaking the law on secrets.
Following his death, his computers were seized and it is still not known if any rough draft was discovered by investigators and, if so, what happened to the material.
Dr Kelly was also intending to lift the lid on a potentially bigger scandal, his own secret dealings in germ warfare with the apartheid regime in South Africa.
US television investigators have spent four years preparing a 90-minute documentary, Anthrax War, suggesting there is a global black market in anthrax and exposing the mystery “suicides” of five government germ warfare scientists from around the world.
Director Bob Coen said: ‘‘The deeper you look into the murky world of governments and germ warfare, the more worrying it becomes.
“We have proved there is a black market in anthrax. David Kelly was of particular interest to us because he was a world expert on anthrax and he was involved in some degree with assisting the secret germ warfare programme in apartheid South Africa.”
Dr Kelly was found dead in woods near his Oxfordshire home on July 17 2003. His apparent suicide came two days after he was interrogated in the Commons over his behind-the-scenes role in exposing the flaws in the “sexed-up” Number 10 dossier which justified Britain going to war with Iraq.
Conspiracy theorists have claimed he was murdered.
British author Gordon Thomas said last night: ‘‘I knew David Kelly very well and he called me because he was working on a book.
“He told me he had warned Tony Blair there were no weapons of mass destruction. I advised him that as he had signed the Official Secrets Act life could get difficult for him.
“I gained the impression that he was prepared to take the flak as he wanted his story to come out.”
Anthrax War will be screened privately in London on July 17, the sixth anniversary of Dr Kelly’s death.
And Now… Pope Proposes New Financial World Order Guided by Ethics
July 7th, 2009Via: AP:
Pope Benedict XVI called Tuesday for a new world financial order guided by ethics, dignity and the search for the common good in the third encyclical of his pontificate.
In “Charity in Truth,” Benedict denounced the profit-at-all-cost mentality of the globalized economy and lamented that greed had brought about the worst economic downturn since the Great Depression.
“Profit is useful if it serves as a means toward an end,” he wrote. “Once profit becomes the exclusive goal, if it is produced by improper means and without the common good as its ultimate end, it risks destroying wealth and creating poverty.”
The document, in the works for two years and repeatedly delayed to incorporate the fallout from the crisis, was released one day before leaders of the Group of Eight industrialized nations meet to coordinate efforts to deal with the global meltdown.
The release was clearly designed to give world leaders a strong moral imperative to correct errors of the past, “which wreaked such havoc on the real economy,” and make a more socially just and responsible world financial order.
“The economy needs ethics in order to function correctly — not any ethics, but an ethics which is people centered,” he wrote.
Goldman Sachs Code Torrent
July 7th, 2009.rar 32MB. A distributed real-time co-located high-frequency trading platform… A very low latency (microseconds) event-driven market data processing, strategy and order submission engine.
Update: Some Readers Don’t Know What the Hell Any of This Means
In short: I gamed Google and tricked people who were looking for the stolen Goldman Sachs software to come to my site… So I could see which organizations they were involved with. It’s a mystery to me why more organizations don’t hide what their people are doing online (ask any 12 year old computer enthusiast how this is done if you don’t know), but for whatever reason, many of them don’t.
The bit of text above that starts out, “.rar 32MB…” Was just fodder for Google. Knowing how Google works, I knew it would show up in the index like this:
Doesn’t that look yummy? That’s the point.
Why is this bit of text an image?
Initially, I wanted to let regular readers know what I was up to, but I didn’t want Google to display my tip off in search results. Also, some people think that they’re pulling a 007 move by viewing search results in Google’s cache. But from where do the images load? Hint: Not from Google.
—End Update—
UPDATE: Goldman Sachs Sniffing Around
This story is making the rounds through Goldman Sachs now. It’s 14 visits from five different hosts at the moment:
figment22.gs.com 12.47.208.50
figment24.gs.com 206.230.48.34
figment25.gs.com 206.230.48.50
figment27.gs.com 12.47.208.58
cflodc1.gs.com 204.4.131.140
They’re a combination of direct hits and referrals from zerohedge or takeareport.
—End Update—
I have not seen as much activity from Goldman Sachs as I thought I would on my little honey pot. This is all so far. Then again, this hasn’t even been up 24 hours yet:
204.4.131.140 2009-07-07 12:01:17
/?paged=2
Referrer: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&rls=com.microsoft%3A*&q=Mr.+Aleynikov+strat&aq=f&oq=&aqi=
Hostname: cflodc1.gs.com
* SEARCH ENGINE: Google (page: 1)
* KEYWORDS: Mr. Aleynikov strat
Other interesting visits:
Citadel Investment Group
64.22.160.1 2009-07-07 11:53:59
/?p=9712
Referrer: Direct hit
Hostname: cit1.citadelgroup.com
—
InfoNgen is the first Discovery Engine for business, finance and information professionals that knows what’s critical to you. Extracts relevant and timely information buried on the web, within emails, in desktop documents or on network drives. Identifies trends and connections between topics, companies or products that might not otherwise be apparent. And delivers results in real time.
63.87.234.186 2009-07-07 05:12:58
/?p=9712
Referrer: Direct hit
Hostname: host186.infongen.com
—
Batterymarch is a global equity specialist, investing in approximately 50 countries for clients around the world. Our unique quantitative strategies combine the power of technology with the wisdom of experienced fundamental investors.
199.58.12.24 2009-07-07 21:12:51
/?p=9712
Referrer: http://www.google.com/reader/view/
Hostname: smtp.batterymarch.com
—
U.S. Army
128.190.125.2 2009-07-07 17:59:55
/?p=9712
Referrer: Direct hit
Hostname: wks125-2.belvoir.army.mil
—
Clough Capital
74.201.46.1 2009-07-07 17:38:18
/?p=9712
Referrer: Direct hit
Hostname: host1.cloughcapital.com
—
Microsoft
131.107.0.101 2009-07-07 17:09:44
/?p=9712
Referrer: From your blog
Hostname: tide531.microsoft.com
—
The Benefit Company
66.184.209.18 2009-07-07 16:20:15
/?p=9712
Referrer: Direct hit
Hostname: 66.184.209.18
—
At ECBridge™, we know that information is the lifeblood of today’s business. Our experienced, international team helps clients plan, implement and manage innovative e-business solutions. We can help your firm gain competitive advantage, by extending the reach of your company’s information.
207.111.251.165 2009-07-07 16:12:14
/?p=9712
Referrer: Direct hit
Hostname: mail.ecbridge.com
—
New York City Police Department
206.212.185.216 2009-07-07 12:49:12
/?p=9712
Referrer: From your blog
Hostname: 206.212.185.216
—
City of Houston
204.235.227.149 2009-07-07 12:05:43
/?p=9712
Referrer: From your blog
Hostname: 204.235.227.149
—
Note: U.S. Department of Homeland Security is obsessed with this post, and with Cryptogon, today. There are at least a couple of DHS employees who read Cryptogon as a matter of routine, but the activity over the last 24 hours shows 10 visits, 43 page views from five different hosts/IPs:
sbcp5.dhs.gov 204.248.24.164
bcp1.cbp.dhs.gov 63.167.255.151
bcp3.cbp.dhs.gov 63.167.255.153
sbcp6.dhs.gov 204.248.24.165
sbcp3.dhs.gov 204.248.24.162
It would be interesting to move to a subscription model. Would DHS subscribe to Cryptogon? *chortling*
Big Banks Don’t Want California’s IOUs
July 7th, 2009Via: Wall Street Journal:
A group of the biggest U.S. banks said they would stop accepting California’s IOUs on Friday, adding pressure on the state to close its $26.3 billion annual budget gap.
The development is the latest twist in California’s struggle to deal with the effects of the recession. After state leaders failed to agree on budget solutions last week, California began issuing IOUs — or “individual registered warrants” — to hundreds of thousands of creditors. State Controller John Chiang said that without IOUs, California would run out of cash by July’s end.
But now, if California continues to issue the IOUs, creditors will be forced to hold on to them until they mature on Oct. 2, or find other banks to honor them. When the IOUs mature, holders will be paid back directly by the state at an annual 3.75% interest rate. Some banks might also work with creditors to come up with an interim solution, such as extending them a line of credit, said Beth Mills, a California Bankers Association spokeswoman.
Meanwhile, on Monday morning, a budget meeting between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and legislative leaders failed to produce a result. Amid the budget deadlock, Fitch Ratings on Monday dropped California’s bond rating to BBB, down from A minus, the latest in a series of ratings downgrades for the state.
The group of banks included Bank of America Corp., Citigroup Inc., Wells Fargo & Co. and J.P. Morgan Chase & Co., among others. The banks had previously committed to accepting state IOUs as payment. California plans to issue more than $3 billion of IOUs in July.
Fitch Cuts California Debt Rating to Two Notches Above Junk
July 7th, 2009Snowballing cluster.
Via: Reuters:
California suffered a new setback in its financial crisis on Monday when Fitch Ratings cut its rating on the state’s general obligation debt to just two notches above junk status.
Fitch cut its rating on California’s long-term bonds to “BBB,” two notches above speculative grade, citing the state’s budget and revenue crisis.
The state last week started issuing “IOU” promissory notes for some bills to conserve cash for priority payments, including payments to investors holding the state’s debt.
The rating agency also kept the debt of the most populous U.S. state on watch for additional downgrades.
Xinjiang Riot Death Toll Hits 156 as Unrest Spreads; Indiscriminate Arrests
July 7th, 2009These are Chinese government numbers.
Via: Reuters:
Chinese police have arrested more than 1,400 people following rioting in the capital of Muslim Xinjiang region which left 156 people dead and more than 800 injured, state media said on Tuesday.
While there were some reports that the violence had spread elsewhere in the region, Xinjiang’s Communist Party boss said the unrest had been quelled, although he warned “this struggle is far from over.”
Calm had settled over Urumqi, the region’s capital, after 20,000 police, troops and firefighters reclaimed the streets from rioters who burned and smashed vehicles and shops on Sunday night.
Xinjiang’s state-run media quoted the regional Communist Party boss Wang Lequan as calling for officials to launch “a struggle against separatism.”
Some Xinjiang newspapers also carried graphic pictures of the violence, including corpses, at least one of which showed a woman whose throat had been slashed.
A total of 1,434 people had been detained, state news agency Xinhua reported, although local residents told Reuters that police were making indiscriminate sweeps of Uighur areas.
Reminder for New BlueHost Clients
July 7th, 2009I see that seven people have recently signed up for hosting with BlueHost, but only two of you have confirmed your orders. (Or, put another way, only two of you are showing up as having confirmed on my screen, in which case I need to contact BlueHost.)
BlueHost requires that each customer confirm that they actually want the hosting package. They will attempt to call you at the phone number that you provided. If, for some reason, they can’t reach you, or you don’t want them to reach you over the phone, you may send an email to verification at bluehost dot com and just write that you want to verify that you wanted the service along with the main domain name associated with the account.
Here are partial domain names of the accounts that are NOT yet verified:
folks
crypt
inter
crder
boom
Thanks for all of your support.
UPDATE: BlueHost wasn’t kidding about that $3.95 per month special being for a limited time. It’s over now.
Biden: We ‘Misread the Economy’
July 6th, 2009Maybe Goldman Sachs needs a few billion dollars more in handouts.
Via: ABC News:
“The truth is, we and everyone else misread the economy,” Biden told me during our exclusive “This Week” interview in Iraq.
Biden acknowledged administration officials were too optimistic earlier this year when they predicted the unemployment rate would peak at 8 percent as part of their effort to sell the stimulus package. The national unemployment rate has ballooned to 9.5 percent in June — the worst in 26 years.
“The truth is, there was a misreading of just how bad an economy we inherited,” said Biden, who is leading the administration’s effort to implement it’s $787 billion economic stimulus plan.
“Now, that doesn’t — I’m not — it’s now our responsibility. So the second question becomes, did the economic package we put in place, including the Recovery Act, is it the right package given the circumstances we’re in? And we believe it is the right package given the circumstances we’re in,” he told me.
The vice president argued more time is needed for the stimulus to work.
“We misread how bad the economy was, but we are now only about 120 days into the recovery package,” he said. “The truth of the matter was, no one anticipated, no one expected that that recovery package would in fact be in a position at this point of having to distribute the bulk of money.”
Biden didn’t rule out a second government stimulus package, but downplayed calls from Nobel Prize-winning economist Paul Krugman this week that a second stimulus will be needed.
I pressed the vice president, who is also leading the administration’s middle-class task force, on whether he’d rule out a second stimulus package.
“So, no second stimulus?” I asked.
“No, I didn’t say that,” Biden said, “I think it’s premature to make that judgment. This was set up to spend out over 18 months. There are going to be major programs that are going to take effect in September, $7.5 billion for broadband, new money for high-speed rail, the implementation of the grid — the new electric grid. And so this is just starting, the pace of the ball is now going to increase.”
Toyota: America’s Car Company
July 6th, 2009Via: Business Insider:
A new study from Cars.com sheds light on the absurdity of thinking cars have a “nationality.”
When you consider that even a post-bailout GM will expand its use of foreign labor, it shouldn’t be that hard to understand how an “American” car isn’t really so, just because its maker was founded in Detroit.
And more generally, there seems to be little reason to think that American cars are really more American in any metrics that matter: Namely, labor and parts inputs.
According to the new survey, the most American car in America is the Toyota Camry, containing the highest percentage of American inputs, even surpassing the Ford F-150. Actually, Toyota utterly dominates the top 10 list, with a Honda thrown in for good measure.
Now some might object to this, saying that even though these cars are “made-in-America”, the value still flows overseas, but really, even that’s not right. Toyota still pays taxes in America. Its stock is traded in the US, and is no doubt owned by individual retail accounts and mutual funds.
