Report: Hackers Compromise Pentagon's Costliest Project

In what could be a serious breach of security, the The Wall Street Journal reports that hackers have stolen sensitive data on the Joint Strike Fighter Project.

A few days back came the news that the U.S Power Grid could be on the mouse sights of cyber hackers. Now according to the Wall Street Journal, the $300 Billion Joint Strike Fighter Project could have been compromised by hackers. Reportedly, cyber-criminals breached the defenses of the U.S. Department of Defense computers and downloaded terabytes of sensitive data relating to the project. It appears data relating to the futuristic plane's design and its electronic systems have been stolen. These could be potentially used to deploy defensive systems against the plane by potential adversaries. The most sensitive files were not endangered since they are stored on computers that are not connected to the Internet. Analysts believe that the attacks appear to have originated in China, though it is difficult to confirm as cyber criminals are adept at wiping of there tracks. Also, the spies used encryption technology on the downloaded data so that investigators can't tell exactly what data has been taken. The project is the most technically challenging attempted so far. Just to give an idea of the scope - the underlying systems are made up of 7.5 million lines of computer code which is triple the amount used in the current top Air Force fighter. The joint strike fighter is being developed for the US air force by Lockheed Martin. The project, which began in 2001 is the US government's costliest weapons system ever. Britain, Canada, Australia and five other countries have signed onto the programme, contributing a total of $4.8 Billion. The plane, known as the F-35 Lightning II, is touted for its ability to operate with naval vessels, ground forces, aviation units and space-based communications systems.