Chinese hackers steal military secrets from Indian navy

Hackers from suspected China have managed to loot military secrets from the Indian navy. To get the data out, the attackers would have used malware on USB sticks.

According to The Indian Express, the hackers broke into military systems located at the Visakhapatnam naval base early this year. At this base, the Indian Navy is said to be currently conducting sea trials with the country’s first nuclear submarine, the INS Arihant, while construction of an underground base for the submarines is also underway.

The hackers are said to have stolen military secrets from the Indian naval systems by means of USB sticks infected with malware. The malware is said to have ended up on the computers via the USB sticks, despite a ban on the use of removable media.

The spy software would have searched for specific information based on keywords. In order to smuggle the stolen data back out, the malware would have placed it in a hidden folder on a USB stick. The data was then sent to IP addresses in China as soon as the USB sticks were plugged into a computer with an internet connection.

While the Indian Navy is still investigating the seriousness of the attack and whether any personnel should be punished, the attack resembles a method applied to US military systems in 2008. After the attack was discovered, the US military banned the use of removable media, such as USB sticks.