clydeiii/cybersecurity · Datasets at Hugging Face

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or if it was a state-sponsored activity (Waterman 2008).
This was not the first time US research facilities received spoofed emails with Trojans
purportedly from China. In 2005 the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Los Alamos
National Laboratory became infected. No classified information was believed to have been
Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80
Copyright
2008 Jason Fritz
obtained; however personal information of visitors from the years 1990 to 2004 was
compromised. This included names, date of birth, and social security numbers. These two
research facilities were originally constructed for sensitive nuclear weapons research during
WWII. Today they are used
for research in numerous areas including national security,
nanotechnology, advanced materials, and energy
(Lasker 2005). In general, Cyber
reconnaissance may be an attempt to attain victory conditions before battle. These intrusions,
if undetected, allow intruders to identify vulnerabilities for future cyber attack. The cost of
probing computer networks is low, given the lack of attribution, requiring as few as one
hacker, and the ability to work from remote locations using off-the-shelf hardware.
A rootkit is a toolkit hidden on a compromised computer. The rootkit can be a diverse set of
programs, but invariably is designed to hide the fact that the computer has been compromised
and defending itself once detected. These rootkits often hide themselves as seemingly
innocuous drivers or kernel modules, depending on the details of the operating system and its
mechanisms. In addition to covering the tracks of an intruder, they can allow easier access in
the future by opening backdoors. They may also include an arsenal of sniffers, key loggers,
and tools that relay email chat conversations. Rootkits may also serve as a staging ground for
email spam distribution and DDoS attacks as a part of a larger botnet. In 2005, it was
revealed that Sony BMG included rootkit software on their CDs. This software altered the
Windows OS to allow access to the computer by anyone aware of the rootkits existence,
presumably to enforce copyright protection. This example shows that corporations, too, can
be a part of cyber attack or reconnaissance, furthering China
s desire to create its own
software and establish market dominance as opposed to being subjected to the US
Numerous source codes for ready-made rootkits can be found on the internet. In 2006,
alleged Chinese hackers infiltrated
the Department of Commerce
s Bureau of Industry and
Security, which manages export licensing of military-use products and information
using
rootkits to allow privilege escalation. The agency spent millions of dollars on new, clean,
hardware and software, because they could not restore the integrity of the compromised
network (Tkacik 2007).
A virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other
executable code or documents. The original virus may modify the copies, known as a
metamorphic virus, making its destruction more difficult (similar to genetic diversity). A
virus can spread from one computer to another through the internet, email, the network file
system, or removable medium such as a USB drive. Damage caused by viruses include
deleting files, damaging programs, reformatting the hard drive, and disrupting or debilitating
the system completely. Viruses may also be used as PSYOPs or demoralizers by presenting
text, video, or audio messages to the computer user. In order to replicate, a virus must be
allowed to execute code and write to memory. For this reason, many viruses attach
themselves to executable files, such as Word and pdf documents, or html links. Some viruses
try to avoid detection by killing the tasks associated with antivirus software before it can
detect them. The Panda Burning Incense Virus is an example of cyber warfare posing an
internal security threat to China, and it set a legal precedent for pursuing and prosecuting
hackers (Lemon 2007).
Like a virus, a worm is also a self-replicating program. A worm is a program or suite of
programs that attempts to scan a network for vulnerable systems and automatically exploit
those vulnerabilities. Some worms work passively, sniffing for usernames and passwords and
using those to compromise accounts, installing copies of themselves into each such account,
and typically relaying the compromised account information back to the intruder through a
Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80
Copyright
2008 Jason Fritz
covert channel. Many worms have been designed only to spread, and do not attempt to alter
the systems through which they pass. However, the Morris worm and Mydoom showed that
network traffic and other unintended effects can cause major disruption. A
payload
is code
designed to do more than spread the worm - it might delete files on a host system, encrypt
files for extortion, send documents via email, or destroy the target computer by rendering it
unusable.
The Code Red and Code Red II worms were the most successful worms in internet history,
causing nearly $2 billion in damages and infecting over 600,000 computers. The worms,
which may have originated from a university in Guangdong, China (United States General
Accounting Office 2001), attacked computers running Microsoft
s IIS web server and
exploited a buffer overflow. Home computers were largely unaffected; however any attempt
at infection caused them to crash. The worms created slow downs in internet speed, knocked
websites and networks offline, and defaced websites with the phrase
Hacked by Chinese!
although Chinese involvement was never confirmed. The attacks may have been statesponsored, they may have been underground hackers and script kiddies, or they may have
been a combination of the two. A script kiddie is not an expert in computer security. They
use pre-packaged automated tools written by others and found online, such as WinNuke
applications, Back Orifice, NetBus, Sub7, Metasploit, and ProRat. Even though script
kiddies lack sophistication, and they are looked down on by the hacker culture, they still pose
a significant security risk. When media attention is drawn to internet incidents, it is often
followed by individuals seeking to participate without any coordinated effort or instructions
to do so. Code Red II had a slightly different payload that could open a backdoor, leaving the
computers vulnerable to further exploitation (Schwartz 2007; Cost of 'Code Red' Rising
2001).
The Code Red worms coincided with the collision of a US reconnaissance plane and a
Chinese fighter jet, in which the Chinese pilot died, and known as the Hainan or EP-3
Incident. Patriotic Chinese hackers defaced dozens of US military and computer industry
websites. Patriotic US hackers responded with inflammatory web page defacements,
comment spamming, posting of photoshopped derogatory pictures, and probably were the
source of the Code Blue Worm (Delio 2001). Code Blue sought out systems infected by
Code Red and reprogrammed them to launch attacks against targets based in mainland China.
In particular, it launched DDoS attacks against the Chinese security firm NS Focus. These
type of attacks could be used clandestinely against one
s own country to spur nationalism. Or

or if it was a state-sponsored activity (Waterman 2008).

This was not the first time US research facilities received spoofed emails with Trojans

purportedly from China. In 2005 the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Los Alamos

National Laboratory became infected. No classified information was believed to have been

Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80

Copyright

2008 Jason Fritz

obtained; however personal information of visitors from the years 1990 to 2004 was

compromised. This included names, date of birth, and social security numbers. These two

research facilities were originally constructed for sensitive nuclear weapons research during

WWII. Today they are used

for research in numerous areas including national security,

nanotechnology, advanced materials, and energy

(Lasker 2005). In general, Cyber

reconnaissance may be an attempt to attain victory conditions before battle. These intrusions,

if undetected, allow intruders to identify vulnerabilities for future cyber attack. The cost of

probing computer networks is low, given the lack of attribution, requiring as few as one

hacker, and the ability to work from remote locations using off-the-shelf hardware.

A rootkit is a toolkit hidden on a compromised computer. The rootkit can be a diverse set of

programs, but invariably is designed to hide the fact that the computer has been compromised

and defending itself once detected. These rootkits often hide themselves as seemingly

innocuous drivers or kernel modules, depending on the details of the operating system and its

mechanisms. In addition to covering the tracks of an intruder, they can allow easier access in

the future by opening backdoors. They may also include an arsenal of sniffers, key loggers,

and tools that relay email chat conversations. Rootkits may also serve as a staging ground for

email spam distribution and DDoS attacks as a part of a larger botnet. In 2005, it was

revealed that Sony BMG included rootkit software on their CDs. This software altered the

Windows OS to allow access to the computer by anyone aware of the rootkits existence,

presumably to enforce copyright protection. This example shows that corporations, too, can

be a part of cyber attack or reconnaissance, furthering China

s desire to create its own

software and establish market dominance as opposed to being subjected to the US

Numerous source codes for ready-made rootkits can be found on the internet. In 2006,

alleged Chinese hackers infiltrated

the Department of Commerce

s Bureau of Industry and

Security, which manages export licensing of military-use products and information

using

rootkits to allow privilege escalation. The agency spent millions of dollars on new, clean,

hardware and software, because they could not restore the integrity of the compromised

network (Tkacik 2007).

A virus is a self-replicating program that spreads by inserting copies of itself into other

executable code or documents. The original virus may modify the copies, known as a

metamorphic virus, making its destruction more difficult (similar to genetic diversity). A

virus can spread from one computer to another through the internet, email, the network file

system, or removable medium such as a USB drive. Damage caused by viruses include

deleting files, damaging programs, reformatting the hard drive, and disrupting or debilitating

the system completely. Viruses may also be used as PSYOPs or demoralizers by presenting

text, video, or audio messages to the computer user. In order to replicate, a virus must be

allowed to execute code and write to memory. For this reason, many viruses attach

themselves to executable files, such as Word and pdf documents, or html links. Some viruses

try to avoid detection by killing the tasks associated with antivirus software before it can

detect them. The Panda Burning Incense Virus is an example of cyber warfare posing an

internal security threat to China, and it set a legal precedent for pursuing and prosecuting

hackers (Lemon 2007).

Like a virus, a worm is also a self-replicating program. A worm is a program or suite of

programs that attempts to scan a network for vulnerable systems and automatically exploit

those vulnerabilities. Some worms work passively, sniffing for usernames and passwords and

using those to compromise accounts, installing copies of themselves into each such account,

and typically relaying the compromised account information back to the intruder through a

Culture Mandala, Vol. 8, No. 1, October 2008, pp.28-80

Copyright

2008 Jason Fritz

covert channel. Many worms have been designed only to spread, and do not attempt to alter

the systems through which they pass. However, the Morris worm and Mydoom showed that

network traffic and other unintended effects can cause major disruption. A

payload

is code

designed to do more than spread the worm - it might delete files on a host system, encrypt

files for extortion, send documents via email, or destroy the target computer by rendering it

unusable.

The Code Red and Code Red II worms were the most successful worms in internet history,

causing nearly $2 billion in damages and infecting over 600,000 computers. The worms,

which may have originated from a university in Guangdong, China (United States General

Accounting Office 2001), attacked computers running Microsoft

s IIS web server and

exploited a buffer overflow. Home computers were largely unaffected; however any attempt

at infection caused them to crash. The worms created slow downs in internet speed, knocked

websites and networks offline, and defaced websites with the phrase

Hacked by Chinese!

although Chinese involvement was never confirmed. The attacks may have been statesponsored, they may have been underground hackers and script kiddies, or they may have

been a combination of the two. A script kiddie is not an expert in computer security. They

use pre-packaged automated tools written by others and found online, such as WinNuke

applications, Back Orifice, NetBus, Sub7, Metasploit, and ProRat. Even though script

kiddies lack sophistication, and they are looked down on by the hacker culture, they still pose

a significant security risk. When media attention is drawn to internet incidents, it is often

followed by individuals seeking to participate without any coordinated effort or instructions

to do so. Code Red II had a slightly different payload that could open a backdoor, leaving the

computers vulnerable to further exploitation (Schwartz 2007; Cost of 'Code Red' Rising

2001).

The Code Red worms coincided with the collision of a US reconnaissance plane and a

Chinese fighter jet, in which the Chinese pilot died, and known as the Hainan or EP-3

Incident. Patriotic Chinese hackers defaced dozens of US military and computer industry

websites. Patriotic US hackers responded with inflammatory web page defacements,

comment spamming, posting of photoshopped derogatory pictures, and probably were the

source of the Code Blue Worm (Delio 2001). Code Blue sought out systems infected by

Code Red and reprogrammed them to launch attacks against targets based in mainland China.

In particular, it launched DDoS attacks against the Chinese security firm NS Focus. These

type of attacks could be used clandestinely against one

s own country to spur nationalism. Or