Issue link: https://www.epageflip.net/i/409594
ByStephenBraun The Associated Press WASHINGTON A cyber- attack similar to previ- ous hacker intrusions from China penetrated com- puter networks for months at USIS, the government's leading security clearance contractor, before the com- pany noticed, officials and others familiar with an FBI investigation and related of- ficial inquiries told The As- sociated Press. The breach compromised the private records of at least 25,000 employees at the Homeland Security Depart- ment and cost the company hundreds of millions of dol- lars in lost government con- tracts. In addition to trying to identify the perpetrators and evaluate the scale of the sto- len material, the government inquiries have prompted concerns about why com- puter detection alarms in- side the company failed to quickly notice the hackers and whether federal agen- cies that hired the company should have monitored its practices more closely. Former employees of the firm, U.S. Investigations Ser- vices LLC, also have raised questions about why the company and the govern- ment failed to ensure that outdated background re- ports containing personal data weren't regularly purged from the company's computers. Details about the investi- gation and related inquiries were described by federal of- ficials and others familiar with the case. The officials spoke only on condition of anonymitybecausetheywere not authorized to comment publicly on the continuing criminal investigation, the others because of concerns about possible litigation. A computer forensics analysis by consultants hired by the company's law- yers defended USIS' han- dling of the breach, not- ing it was the firm that re- ported the incident. The analysis said govern- ment agencies regularly re- viewed and approved the firm's early warning sys- tem. In the analysis, sub- mitted to federal officials in September and obtained by the AP, the consultants criticized the government's decision in August to indef- initely halt the firm's back- ground investigations. USIS reported the cyber- attack to federal authorities on June 5, more than two months before acknowledg- ing it publicly. The attack had hallmarks similar to past intrusions by Chinese hackers, according to peo- ple familiar with the inves- tigation. Last March, hack- ers traced to China were re- ported to have penetrated computers at the Office of Personnel Management, the federal agency that oversees most background investiga- tions of government work- ers and has contracted ex- tensively with USIS. In a brief interview, Jo- seph Demarest, assistant director of the FBI's cyber division, described the hack against USIS as "sophisti- cated" but said "we're still working through that as well." He added: "There is some attribution" as to who was responsible, but he de- clined to comment further. For many people, the im- pact of the USIS break-in is dwarfed by recent intru- sions that exposed credit and private records of mil- lions of customers at JPM- organ Chase & Co., Target Corp. and Home Depot Inc. But it's significant because the government relies heav- ily on contractors to vet U.S. workers in sensitive jobs. The possibility that national security background inves- tigations are vulnerable to cyber-espionage could un- dermine the integrity of the verification system used to review more than 5 million government workers and contract employees. HACKING Security contractor breach not detected for months By David Espo The Associated Press WASHINGTON On a final, furious day of campaign- ing, Republicans strained to capture control of the Senate while Democrats struggled to limit their congressional losses in elections midway through an unpopular President Barack Obama's second term. "The spending, the bor- rowing, the taxing, the overregulation, the slow growth. ... These people need to be stopped," Sen. Mitch McConnell of Ken- tucky said of the Dem- ocrats on Monday, urg- ing voters to support him and GOP candidates ev- erywhere. He would be in line to control the Senate's agenda as majority leader if Republicans win on Tues- day. Democrats weighed down by Obama's unpop- ularity kept their distance from him and looked to a costly turn-out-the-vote op- eration in the most compet- itive Senate races to save their seats and their ma- jority. "There are two people on the ballot tomorrow: me and Scott Brown," said Sen. Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire as she made the rounds of six campaign stops on the race's final full day. The cost of the campaign climbed toward $4 billion, and there seemed no end to the attack ads on tele- vision — or to the requests for donations keep them on the air. "Soon your inbox won't be crowded with campaign emails — that's a relief!" said a message from the National Republican Sena- torial Committee. Then: a request for "just $25, $50, $100 or anything you're able to give. ..." The campaign pace was punishing, especially in the larger states. In Geor- gia, Democratic gubernato- rial candidate Jason Carter emailed supporters that he had traveled 1,350 miles over the weekend. All 435 House seats are on Tuesday's ballot, and not even Democrats pre- dicted they would be able to take control away from the Republicans. Instead, they concentrated on pro- tecting their incumbents, a strategy that meant tacitly conceding races in Utah, New York and North Caro- lina where retirements cre- ated opportunities for Re- publicans to pad their ma- jority. "Not one of our incum- bents is down or out," said New York Rep. Steve Israel, who heads the Democrats' campaign organization. The lack of suspense about the House made con- trol of the Senate the elec- tion's main prize. Republicans need a gain of six seats to capture the majority. They were all but assured of winning Dem- ocratic-held seats in West Virginia, Montana and South Dakota, and Dem- ocrats held out little hope that Sen. Mark Pryor of Ar- kansas could win re-elec- tion. Polls suggested that races in Iowa, Colorado and Alaska tilted the Re- publicans' way, too — al- though Democrats said their get-out-the-vote op- eration made any predic- tions unreliable. There were also competi- tive races in Shaheen's New Hampshire and in North Carolina where Democrats said they had an edge — and Republican disagreed. Strategists in both par- ties said Louisiana and Georgia were both likely headed for runoffs, the first in December and the sec- ond in January. The wildest wild card of all was in Kansas, where polls said 78-year-old Re- publican Sen. Pat Roberts was in a close race with in- dependent Greg Orman. The uncertainties meant there was a strong possi- bility that neither party would be able to claim a Senate majority by the morning after Election Day. Early voting topped 18 million ballots in 32 states, and both parties seized on the number as evidence of their own strength. NATIONAL POLITICS Costly and competitive campaign nears end TIMOTHYD.EASLEY—THEASSOCIATEDPRESS Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., at podium, addresses a group of supporters during a rally in Louisville, Ky., on Monday. At le is Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky.; at right is former Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao. PAID ADVERTISEMENT Please help sponsor a classroom subscription Call Kathy at (530) 527-2151 to find out how. ThroughtheNewspapersinEducation program, area classrooms receive the Red Bluff Daily News every day thanks to the generosity of these local businesses & individuals. •SHOFFORTHODONTICS • DOLLING INSURANCE • GUMM'S OPTICAL SHOPPE • HOOKER CREEK INC. • CALIFORNIA WALNUT COMPANY • LEPAGE COMPANY INC. • MODERN CLEANERS • OLIVE CITY QUICK LUBE • WALMART • TEHAMA CO. DEPT. 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