CYBERTHIEVES STEAL SECRET MILITARY CODES FOR NEW GPS SYSTEM
Exigent Software Technology spokesman said Tues. “there’s nothing new to report” on incident in which cyberthieves gained access to to top-secret computer system codes that guide space ships, rockets and satellites from U.S. govt. contractor Exigent. Exigent confirmed that computer experts raided offices of information technology company in Stockholm, Sweden last month and found copy of proprietary source codes for OS/COMET software program. U.S. Air Force Space Command has plans to use OS/COMET software to control Global Positioning System from Monitor Station in Colo. Source codes explain how software programs work. Govt. spokesman also said “there’s nothing new to report on the incident.”
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Investigators believe theft of source codes was carried out remotely over Internet last Christmas Eve from U.S. Naval Research Lab in Washington. Theft wasn’t detected until Dec. 27 and investigators have been attempting to track down hacker and codes since then. Stolen codes could be used by terrorists to disturb computer systems that direct space programs or in industrial espionage for commercial advantage.
FBI tracked source codes to Swedish IT company Carbonide. Internet Web server Freebox.com used by company had stolen source code, but “nothing indicates they had anything to do with it getting there,” Exigent spokesman said. Investigators said Carbonide server accessed by hacker known only by username ‘LEEIF’ showed perpetrator hid true identity by breaking into account of genuine Freebox. com subscriber. “We weren’t able to get any further information about where it came from or find out if it had been copied and sent elsewhere,” spokesman said. “Sweden seems like a closed chapter. We can’t get any further here.”