geekosystem

A new type of camouflage paint could protect soldiers in the field from the searing heat of bomb blasts. Developed by the University of Southern Mississippi at the direction of the Department of Defense, the paint replaces its traditional carbon base with silicone that is non-flammable and can absorb heat. The change means that just a thin layer of camouflage face paint could not only help soldiers escape detection, but prevent burn injuries and facial scarring from run-ins with explosives. The substance made its debut today at a meeting of the American Chemical Society in Philadelphia.

In a reminder that other networks beyond Sony's are targets for cyber attack, Reuters is reporting that major Department of Defense contractor and aeronautics giant Lockheed-Martin, and possibly other weapons makers, have been hacked. There is no word yet as to whether any data was compromised as a result of the alleged attack, and Lockheed-Martin has not confirmed the breach. Confirmed information remains scant, but according to Reuter's sources, the attack appears to be a direct result of a confirmed security breach at EMC, which provides the SecurID tokens for Lockheed-Martin. These tokens produce a new passcode minute by minute, providing an additional layer of security on top of the personal identification numbers assigned to Lockheed-Martin employee. During the attack on EMC this past March, hackers were apparently able to steal information which allowed them to produce their own passcodes. This breach was followed by a string of phishing and malware attacks designed to match tokens to users, and thus circumvent the system. As of yet, the motivations behind the attacks remain unknown.

Documents outlining the construction of a new Department of Defense office complex were accidentally made public on a website run by the Army Corps of Engineers, the organization responsible for the design and construction of the building. The 30-page document, marked For Official Use Only (FOUO), outlined not only the building's design but also its bomb-proofing scheme. The Alexandria, VA complex, called the Mark Center, is meant to consolidate some 6,400 DoD employees now working at disparate locations across the National Capital Region. The FOUO documents were never meant to be seen publicly, and have revealed that the building is designed to withstand explosive attacks far smaller than recent attacks on government buildings.