The Interloping Spoofer

George C. Smith, Ph.D., Editor-at-large
Thursday, 30 May 2002 Computer viruses bounce off or through the government daily. Indeed, it would have been disappointing and atypical had Klez not received its paragraph of news on the subject. In the most recently publicized case, an "interloping spoofer" was said to have bounced Klez through an open mailing list to 23,000 subscribers. In briefing, the State Department handled the news deftly. It was a moment for laughter rather than handwringing and silly pronouncements on the nature of the computer virus menace and insecure computers.

Reporter:
Can you say anything about the State Department's e-mail system being infected with a virus called Klez?
Mr. Reeker, Dept. of State:
Let me start out by saying quite clearly that the State Department's e-mail system was not at all infected by that. There was no impact from the Klez virus — that's K-l-e-z for our viewers at home who may be less familiar with these things. But seeing how familiar I am with it, let me just...
Reporter:
There are some of us here who...
Mr. Reeker:
Yes, [you] and I are in the same boat. Let me just walk you through that, because there has been some interest. On Saturday, May 18th ... a virus attacked one of our mailing lists, a [mailing list] known as DOS-Travel, Department of State Travel, in fact, the [mailing list] which provides up to 23,000 subscribers with the public announcements, the travel warnings, and consular information that we were just discussing in terms of our public announcement for Middle East and North Africa. That mailing list was attacked by this virus, but the virus had no impact on the State Department system, on our internal systems, which have never been infected by the Klez virus. We have a very active anti-virus program here at the State Department, and we constantly monitor our system and it eradicates any new viruses...
Reporter:
It delivers messages to 23,000 subscribers, right ... That's an awful lot of travel warnings.
Mr. Reeker:
Well, in theory. In theory there are 23,000 — let me make that clear...
Reporter:
Do you have any idea, then, who did this?
Mr. Reeker:
No.
Reporter:
Is this the kind of thing, though, that you will try to seek out the interloping spoofer? ... and punish them? Or is the kind of thing...
Mr. Reeker:
I can check and see. I don't know that one can. I think it is very difficult once they have tried to assume another person's identity by spoofing. You know, they can send these viruses...
Reporter:
Can I ask that the words "interloping spoofer" be placed into the diplomatic lexicon of the State Department? How did they get hold of your mailing list, though? Or don't you know?
Mr. Reeker:
I really don't know. I think if certain controls aren't there, somebody can get into a mailing list and then do this and send to everyone on that mailing list a message that appears to be coming from, in this case the Department of State, and in fact it's coming from this "interloping spoofer." (Laughter.) But now we have worked very closely ... to develop even better security for the [mailing list] as well. But it just reminds everyone it's dangerous out there. (Laughter.)
Reporter:
Phil, just for the record, just for our stories, has the State Department's internal computer systems ever been cyber-attacked?
State Department:
The Department of State experiences attempts from perpetrators to attack our computer system on a daily basis. We maintain a twenty-four-hour, seven-day-a-week team that constantly scans our perimeter with the most up-to-date software. These dedicated individuals work around the clock to safeguard our system from malicious hackers, viruses, and elements who wish to lash out against the U.S. Government...

This transcript has been abridged by Vmyths. For full transcripts see State Dept. briefing, May 22. See also their briefing addendum.