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> Clearly relevant to Chevron and other energy companies.

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> Chinese hackers hit energy groups
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> By Joseph Menn in San Francisco
> Published: February 10 2011 05:24 | Last updated: February 11 2011
> 01:53
> Chinese hackers have mounted cyberattacks on a number of leading oil
> and gas companies, according to security experts.
>
> The incidents add to growing US fears about the impact of such
> attacks on the ability of western companies to compete in critical
> industries.
>
> EDITOR’S CHOICE
> Analysis: Industrial espionage – Data out of the door - Feb-01
>
> Fears rise of growth in industrial espionage - Jan-07
>
> Spying is a ‘reality’ in China, says EADS chief - Jan-12
>
> Renault sheds light on spy case - Jan-23
>
> Cyber thieves get personal - Jan-26
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> The Federal Bureau of Investigation is examining espionage attacks
> in the past year against at least five companies, which succeeded in
> stealing information, such as bidding strategies for drilling rights
> in specific fields and configuration of key equipment.
>
> The experts added that the country could be paralysed by an attempt
> to bring down infrastructure, such as power grids, and that the US
> was now subjected to “hundreds of thousands” of attacks looking for
> information. Details stolen from the unnamed oil and gas companies
> would be highly valuable to competitors in the industry, suggesting
> an economic motive for the intruders.
>
> The attacks were made public on Thursday by security researchers,
> including those working for antivirus company McAfee, a unit of
> chipmaker Intel, hired by the targeted companies.
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> James Clapper, US director of national intelligence, on Thursday
> warned Congress of the threat posed by cyberespionage. Organised
> crime groups were increasingly allying with overseas government and
> business figures, he said.
>
> “In the past year, we have seen a dramatic increase in malicious
> cyberactivity targeting US computers and networks; almost two-thirds
> of US firms report that they have been the victim of cyber security
> incidents or information breaches.”
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> Such activity “enhances the ability of state or state-allied actors
> to undermine competition in gas, oil, aluminium, and precious metals
> markets”, he told a House committee on intelligence issues.
>
> Leon Panetta, director of the CIA, told the committee: “When it
> comes to national security this represents the battleground for the
> future. The potential for the next Pearl Harbor could very well be a
> cyberattack.”
>
> Stewart Baker, former assistant secretary at the Department of
> Homeland Security, told the Financial Times the intrusion on the oil
> and gas companies “could well be [the] Chinese government, but I
> can’t say the government would even have to be aware of it.”
>
> He said: “The most valuable intelligence in the commercial world may
> be what oil exploration companies have found and not found.”
>
> The intrusions appeared to have been conducted by a group of a dozen
> or fewer people working from about 9am to 5pm Beijing time during
> the week.
>
> “These were company worker bees, not freestyle hackers,” said Dmitri
> Alperovitch, a McAfee researcher.
>
> Mr Alperovitch said he and his colleagues had briefed the FBI and
> that the agency was investigating
>
> Jenny Shearer, an FBI spokeswoman, said “We are aware of the threat
> to the oil and gas industry” from cyberespionage, adding that she
> could not confirm or deny specific inquiries.
>
> According to researchers, the attacks began with an assault on the
> companies’ external websites. Hacking tools readily available on
> underground forums in China were used to get inside the company’s
> servers, and automated techniques gave the intruders user names and
> passwords. The hackers did not go to great lengths to cover their
> tracks, researchers said.
>
> Such attacks are commonplace in many industries, investigators and
> law enforcement officials say, but are rarely divulged or explained.
>
> Additional reporting by Daniel Dombey in Washington
>
>