It has been disclosed to a US congressional panel that hackers succeeded in penetrating computer systems of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) in hundreds of attacks on the lead US cybersecurity agency.

 

It has also been released that a hacker has penetrated an unclassified Pentagon email system, prompting authorities to take as many 1500 accounts offline, US defence officials said.

 

Documents provided showed the DHS suffered 844 cybersecurity "incidents" in fiscal 2005 and 2006, including some resulting in infection with viruses or other malicious code.

 

Representative James Langevin was quoted as saying, "it was a shock and a disappointment to learn that the Department of Homeland Security -- the agency charged with being the lead in our national cybersecurity -- has suffered so many significant security problems on its networks".

The incidents included attacks resulting in the unauthorized access to DHS computers, circumvention of firewalls, website exploits, system infection with Trojans and viruses and classified data "spillages”. The Pentagon email system that was breached apparently carries "routine email" involving administrative matters, no classified information was involved.

US Defence Secretary Robert Gates said, when asked about the pentagon, "Elements of the OSD (Office of the Secretary of Defence) unclassified email system were taken offline yesterday afternoon due to a detected penetration."

Mr Gates said the Defence Department computers were under constant attack, but he could not say why this attack, unlike others, forced authorities to take down part of the system.