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nikita69
11-04-2003, 03:33 PM
Date: Monday, November 3rd Source: news24.com

Jerusalem - A website run by Israel's Mossad intelligence agency to recruit agents was hacked by an Israeli man, media reports said Monday.

The man, 23, who was not identified, was arrested and has been charged in a Jerusalem court, Israel Radio reported. It did not say what the charges were or when the incident occurred.

Both the Prime Minister's Office, which is responsible for the intelligence services, and the Justice Ministry refused to comment.

The Mossad, which was once so secretive that it prohibited the publication of the identity of its director, has opened up slightly in recent years.

It set up the internet site last year in an attempt to widen the pool of potential recruits, allowing aspiring agents to submit online applications and send in a resume. Previously, the only way to become a Mossad operative was to receive an invitation to join the agency.

According to Monday's radio report, prosecutors say the man deliberately hacked into the system, and an expert witness described the attempt as a sophisticated attack.

However, the defence said the man just wanted to ensure that the information he was sending on his application form was secure and would not fall into the wrong hands, the radio said.

The man reportedly succeeded in breaking into the system but was unable to decipher the information he received.

The expert witness told the court that there are hundreds of attempts to hack the Mossad site each day, but most of them come from outside Israel, the radio said.

The defence criticised the Mossad for taking the issue to court instead of checking their site security, the radio said.

SOURCE (http://www.news24.com/News24/World/News/0,6119,2-10-1462_1439748,00.html)

blackhatknight
11-04-2003, 03:46 PM
Mossad, the FBI, the CIA, MI5, MI6 despite the fear and paranoia these organisations create within individuals that facts, as those stated above show much of their security to be no better than that of disinterested school boy, God help us all.

Locks be they physical or virtual (passwords, etc.) will only ever keep decent people out, in this day and age does even an armed guard offer protection?

"The horror of it . . . if i had ten men with there will . . ." - Apocalypse Now

ilw
11-04-2003, 03:59 PM
Lets not get worked up over nothing, this was just a website hack. I know that in the UK any government networks with restricted material will physically not be connected to the external world (at the hardware level, ie they have no internet connection) and i reckon the UK isn't alone on this policy. What this guy got was probably an encrypted list of recent application details, worrying i'm sure to the applicants, but hardly earth shattering stuff. The security of important info in those organisations mentioned (FBI, MI5 etc) would be a bit better than the average school boy could manage. :lol:

Rat Faced
11-04-2003, 08:00 PM
Originally posted by ilw@4 November 2003 - 15:59
Lets not get worked up over nothing, this was just a website hack. I know that in the UK any government networks with restricted material will physically not be connected to the external world (at the hardware level, ie they have no internet connection) and i reckon the UK isn't alone on this policy. What this guy got was probably an encrypted list of recent application details, worrying i'm sure to the applicants, but hardly earth shattering stuff. The security of important info in those organisations mentioned (FBI, MI5 etc) would be a bit better than the average school boy could manage. :lol:
Beg to differ....

I work on such a system every day, with restricted material and have internet access via email

The same system is used by others piloting Homeworking, and I also can access the system from a Laptop via a Hotel Telephone Line, for those times Im working away from a Local Office.

Many Departments/Executive Agencies are looking at these systems.

Ironically; my Parent Department's personnel, although needing email more than myself, have to make a business case for each instance. Whereas in our Agency everyone has external email... :blink:

nikita69
11-04-2003, 10:39 PM
Originally posted by Rat Faced@5 November 2003 - 02:00
Ironically; my Parent Department's personnel, although needing email more than myself, have to make a business case for each instance. Whereas in our Agency everyone has external email... :blink:
A friend of mine works at a US agency and has similar case. What is the logic behind this approach?

noname12
11-04-2003, 11:15 PM
:o Mossad seem to be slipping.... Now ask your self this, what if Hamas hacked into it and made the page forward to there web site, then unexpecting wannabe agents will be signing up for Hamas... We'd have Mossad Killing Mossad :o

When will the madness end... :rolleyes:

Basically the Mossad arent stupid, if a web site gets hacked the most there going to possibly get is the pictures hosted :lol:

Mossad have proven them selves to be the most effective agencies, pride of Israel if you ask me.