DTN News: Iraqi Insurgents Hack Pentagon’s Surveillance

DTN News: Iraqi Insurgents Hack Pentagon’s Surveillance *Source: RT.com (NSI News Source Info) WASHINGTON - December 25, 2009: Iraqi insurgents have intercepted a Pentagon surveillance and weapons system, officials said. Further, The Wall Street Journal reports it was done using a Russian software program. As a result, the militants were reportedly able to view live video feeds from cameras onboard U.S. predator drones. However, U.S. officials say the feeds were of poor quality and didn't contain information on targets or location. While Wayne Madsen, RT contributor, says that the incident is unlikely to present a real risk to US security since the National Security Agency, which oversees US military and diplomatic immunity, is well aware of all that is happening. “The National Security Agency absolutely knows about it. And if they thought there was a risk here they’d make all the encryption keys. They would have dictated that these feeds be encrypted, which they did not,” Madsen explained. In the meantime, the Wall Street Journal claims the insurgents were using software created by a Russian company for downloading satellite TV and radio. Andrey Mikhailyuk, editor-in-chief of Hardware Magazine noted that it is comparatively easy to intercept such signals, from the technical perspective, and anyone with the proper equipment could do it. Disclaimer statement Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information supplied herein, DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions. Unless otherwise indicated, opinions expressed herein are those of the author of the page and do not necessarily represent the corporate views of DTN News ~ Defense-Technology News.