Israel concerned over Lockheed attack

An F-35 fighter jet manufactured by US Lockheed Martin

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/182398.html

The Israeli military has expressed concerns over its security systems after US aerospace company Lockheed Martin came under a cyber attack.

The military said in a statement that “the attack on Lockheed Martin has raised concern for Israeli high-tech institutions,” Israeli daily Haaretz reported on Sunday.

Israel has ordered 20 F-35 fighter jets manufactured by Lockheed Martin whose information systems network was attacked by hackers last week. Lockheed Martin provides Israel with a variety of fighter aircraft including F-16, F-22 and F-35.

The Israeli military is concerned about an expected delay in delivery of the planes. It also stated that the scope of adverse effects of the attack on Israel's security systems is yet unknown.

Meanwhile, the US Department of Defense said in a statement late Saturday that it was working with Lockheed to determine the extent of the attack.

Also in 2009, hackers broke into Lockheed's computers holding data on the F-35 fighter program worth an approximate $380 billion.

The Israeli Air Force has selected F-35 planes as the back bone of its future strategic fighters, and there are no plans for an alternative if the American program is discontinued due to cyber threats.

Lockheed Martin's IT network attacked

Lockheed Martin headquarters is Bethesda, Maryland

Source: Press TV
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/182248.html

US defense contractor Lockheed Martin has confirmed that its team detected a threat a week ago and took swift action to protect all systems and data.

"Lockheed Martin detected a significant and tenacious attack on its information systems network," said a company statement, stressing that its systems are now secure, AFP reported.

The US Defense Department says it is working to determine the scope of the attack. It has not so far commented on what information may have been compromised or where the cyber-attack may have originated.

"As a result of the swift and deliberate actions taken to protect the network and increase IT security, our systems remain secure," the statement said.

The Pentagon says the impact on its operations is minimal.

Lockheed Martin - with its headquarters in Bethesda, a Maryland suburb of Washington - is an American global aerospace, defense, security, and advanced technology company with worldwide interests.

It is the world's biggest aerospace company and the Pentagon's number one supplier by sales. In 2009, about 74 percent of the company's revenue came from military sales.

The contractor's network contains technical specifications on weapons under development as well as those deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Lockheed Martin will also design and build a new spacecraft for NASA to carry humans into deep space, the US space agency said last week.