Free vulnerability assessments, courtesy of the NSA

[BOfH]

The Puzzle Palace is at it again, and spending quite a bit of dough on it too. It being a program aptly named Perfect Citizen, in which the NSA contracted Raytheon to assess and attempt to penetrate control device networks(SCADA/SCS) used by critical infrastructure such as utilities, oil and gas production, manufacturing etc. Bear in mind this is being done without the said network's owner(s) knowledge and/or consent, cyber ROE anyone?

Report: $91 million spent on secret NSA tests probing domestic computer systems

The National Security Agency is conducting secret tests on the computer systems of U.S. private sector entities, including public utilities, a CNET report revealed this week.

The secret program, dubbed Perfect Citizen, is part of an effort by the government to improve security systems in the private sector and test offensive operations against enemies’ computer systems.

Targets reportedly include power grids and gas pipelines. The NSA’s operation reportedly probes their computer systems for vulnerabilities as part of a larger cybersecurity and cyberwarfare initiative.

[MR2]

Or is it a cover story to distract from the routine foreign cyber penetrations?

Maybe I should have put that in pink. Maybe.

[BOfH]

Originally Posted by MR2

Or is it a cover story to distract from the routine foreign cyber penetrations?

Maybe I should have put that in pink. Maybe.

Could be. Wouldn't be the first(or last) time the NSA ran a false flag. The question it, what would they gain from it? Additionally, I have seen some anecdotal evidence that this may be the real deal, there has been an uptick in published vulnerabilities in regards to SCADA systems, then again, it just be research interest in the wake of Stuxnet/Flame.

My .02

[Irishsquid]

Originally Posted by MR2

Or is it a cover story to distract from the routine foreign cyber penetrations?

Maybe I should have put that in pink. Maybe.

I don't think they even care about distracting from that...we're really quite open about it...