Hacker May Have Hurt Microsoft

[spidergoolash]

Hackers who broke into Microsoft Corp.'s system could hurt the company more than it is letting on, analysts say, if the stolen program source code is disseminated. The FBI is investigating reports intruders got a look at -- but didn't corrupt -- code for an unidentified Microsoft program under development. "For Microsoft, that's a significant loss of intellectual property and a significant loss of a competitive edge," said security expert Simon Perry of Computer Associates in Islandia, N.Y. "What we would expect is that code now either will appear on the Internet or it will be sold off to the highest bidder, probably overseas." Hackers also could use the codes to identify software flaws, making break-ins and virus-writing easier, Perry said. While acknowledging the seriousness of the attack, Microsoft is downplaying the long-term significance, saying the program won't be finished for years and will go through many changes before then.

----------------------------
"i like crumbs ..."

 

[Diesel]

spiderg> Weird, since all of the quotes that I've seen come out of MS have said that no source code was compromised, and the report from the Wall St. Journal (who reported that source code was stolen) was false.

And, since you didn't provide the source for the quote, I can't investigate to see what might have been taken.

Curious as to whether the unidentified product was game, OS, or office app... Microsoft produces (notice I didn't use the word "creates"

)so many different types of applications, who knows what the hackers could've gotten their hands on.

Who knows... by the time this "unidentified Microsoft program" would've actually been produced for retail distribution, half the population might've wised-up and stopped using Microsoft products altogether and switched to Linux.

----------------------------
spidergoolash: "heh, a cup of diesel dan - mwahhha"
me: "heh, a cup of me is like a cup of heaven!"

 

[spidergoolash]

hi dwan. this was on my compuserve pop-up news page this a.m.

----------------------------
"i like crumbs ..."

 

[mthrlangl]

The hackers used a known virus, right? Wouldn't you think that MS would've protected themselves against the known stuff? Or is that not possible, and I'm not enough of a puter geek to know it?

----------------------------
Alien - "Sh*t. I swallowed Yoda! ...Don't quote me on that."

 

[Diesel]

mth> This didn't have anything to do with a virus. Not sure where you picked that up...

What they did was compromise the security of MS' internal network and might have gained access to the source code of various MS projects, including software development. Hacking can be done with very simple tools (such as password guessers), and there is no such thing as a hack-proof system. All one can do is make it more difficult for the hackers to break in.

What it all means is that they can see exactly how the software is written, and identify things like bugs, security holes, and the like. They can then use that info to create viruses that take advantage of those bugs or security holes. They can also create tools that will simplify the hacking of systems running those products.
For example: Say I hack into Microsoft, and steal the source code for Office 2000. I can then look at the source code (provided I have an understanding of programming code), and I happen to find a security hole in the system that allows me to access the entire user database and see each user account's password.
I can now figure out a way to know the entire list of usernames and passwords of any company who's running Office 2000.

Let's say, I now have access to a large banking firm, and I get in and can access anyone's account.
Just for starters, I can delete anyone's entire home directory which includes all of their personal files. Like a Vice President.
Or, I can read through all of their financial records and see which companies they are doing business with, and play the stock market based on that info.
Or, I can wipe out their entire user database, rendering the entire network inaccessible to anyone who works there.

You can see where this can get ugly... Now imagine if the product were Windows 2000 instead of Office 2000. That opens up a whole different universe to exploit in various ways.


----------------------------
spidergoolash: "heh, a cup of diesel dan - mwahhha"
me: "heh, a cup of me is like a cup of heaven!"

 

[mthrlangl]

Um..oh. I get it..sorta. I think my local news said something about a "known virus" being used. That's not the kind of thing I'd just think up on my own

----------------------------
Alien - "Sh*t. I swallowed Yoda! ...Don't quote me on that."

 

[Finity]

stinky microsoft deserves it! i wanted my free $400 but they ended it too early! grr on them!

 

[Diesel]

Trust the media to screw up the facts in an attempt to dumb it down for the masses.

----------------------------
spidergoolash: "heh, a cup of diesel dan - mwahhha"
me: "heh, a cup of me is like a cup of heaven!"