The hackers who can take down America

[rawstory]

The hackers who can take down America

By Lewis Z. Koch
RAW STORY COLUMNIST

Scientists do not think like cops. Most computer scientists regard computer security as making life (and the use of their computers) more difficult. If they regard security at all, most computer scientists regard it as an afterthought. Which is just fine if you’re a hacker, since the more open the computer is, the easier it is to break in, look around, maybe even tinker with it, to see how things run.

The extraordinarily well-intentioned and creative fathers and mothers of the Grid have made it, in effect, extraordinarily easy for any adolescent hacker with “zero understanding of the consequences” to march right in and have their way with the Grid. The words are those of Chris Wysopal, Vice-President of Research and Development, @ Stake — another highly respected computer security firm.

In March of 2004 the TeraGrid, which links some of the most powerful supercomputers in the nation, was hacked.

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Instead of calmly, dispassionately explaining to the media (and to the equally fellow clueless computer security systems administrators) what had happened and how, the feds instead ordered everyone to keep their mouths shut.

Effectively silenced were the following: University of Chicago computer scientists Ian Foster — called “the Father of the Grid” who, prior to the hacking, had agreed to an interview, Sangtae Kim, the Division Director of the Shared Cyberinfrastructure a division of the National Science Foundation, the agency that pours millions of dollars into building the Grid. Kim spoke very briefly and then told me to contact Peter Beckman of Argonne National Labs, the Chief architect of the TeraGrid who Kim said was handling all press information. Not surprisingly Beckman failed to return calls or e-mails.

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Those orders for silence most likely came from the feds — the FBI (who have a most dismal track record in catching such hackers) and the office of the National Cyber Security division of the Information Analysis Infrastructure Protection office at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security with its newly appointed director, Amit Yoran.

Despite enormous pressure by the Times to catch HFG, the FBI failed completely.

Full story: http://www.rawstory.com/exclusives/koch/vulnerable_computer_grid2.htm