http://australianit.news.com.au/story/0,24897,21948818-15306,00.html 

Correspondents in Washington 
June 22, 2007

A HACKER has penetrated an unclassified Pentagon email system, prompting 
authorities to take as many 1500 accounts offline, US defence officials 
said.

"Elements of the OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defence) unclassified 
email system were taken offline yesterday afternoon due to a detected 
penetration," US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said.

"A variety of precautionary measures are being taken. We expect the 
system to be online again very soon," Mr Gates said.

Between 1000 and 1500 users of the system were taken offline, a defence 
official said.

On Wednesday, a congressional panel disclosed that hackers had also 
succeeded in penetrating computers at the Department of Homeland 
Security, the lead government agency in providing security against cyber 
attack.

"What does this mean? It means terrorists or nation states could be 
hacking Department of Homeland Security databases, changing or altering 
names to allow them access to this country, and we wouldn't even know 
they were doing it," Representative James Langevin said.

The Pentagon email system carries "routine email" involving 
administrative matters but not classified information related to 
military operations, Pentagon spokesman Colonel Gary Keck said.

Mr Gates said the Defence Department computers were under constant 
attack, but he could not say why this attack, unlike others, forced 
authorities to take down part of the system.

Pentagon officials would not comment on the source of the attack, or 
whether the hacker was able to read email sent over the system.

"We obviously have redundant systems in place, and there's no 
anticipated adverse impact on ongoing operations," Mr Gates said. "There 
will be some administrative disruptions and personal inconveniences."

"It will come as no surprise that we aggressively monitor intrusions and 
have appropriate procedures to address events of this kind. But, as I 
say, we get perhaps hundreds of attacks a day," he said.


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