Hackers have penetrated the computer network of the Nasdaq Stock Market during the past year, according to a story in the Wall Street Journal. Federal investigators are trying to figure out who did it and why.
If its true, then the entire stock market is vulnerable to disruption, an event that could potentially wreck billions of dollars in electronic commerce on a daily basis. The worry remains that if hackers can penetrate Nasdaq, then maybe they can break into the computer systems of other secure entities, from air traffic control system to defense computers.
The exchange&'s computers that execute stock trades weren&'t comprmised, but so far it isn&'t clear how deep the hackers were able to penetrate. Investigators aren&'t sure about the motives, but they could include financial theft, trade secret theft, or some kind of terrorist threat to damage the exchange. So far, the hackers may have only been probing the system. Nasdaq declined comment to the Wall Street Journal. The Secret Service and the Federal Bureau Investigation are looking into the matter.
The company that runs the exchange is New York-based Nasdaq OMX Group. Details of the hack aren&'t available yet. The Journal said that hackers broke into the Nasdaq&'s web site in 1999.
Previous Story: Is the Answers.com sale in trouble
Print Email Twitter Facebook Google Buzz LinkedIn Digg StumbleUpon Reddit Delicious Google More&8230'
Companies: NASDAQ
Companies: NASDAQ
Dean is lead writer for GamesBeat at VentureBeat. He covers video games, security, chips and a variety of other subjects. Dean previously worked at the San Jose Mercury News, the Wall Street Journal, the Red Herring, the Los Angeles Times, the Orange County Register and the Dallas Times Herald. He is the author of two books, Opening the Xbox and the Xbox 360 Uncloaked. Follow him on Twitter at @deantak, and follow VentureBeat on Twitter at @venturebeat.
Have news to share Launching a startup Email: tips@venturebeat.com
VentureBeat has new weekly email newsletters. Stay on top of the news, and don't miss a beat.
Discuss Add this link to... Bury
Comments