Hackers Penetrate US Navy Nuclear Sub Shipyard

Computer hacker arrests for compromising the security of U.S. Navy

An alleged computer hacker was detained by Spanish police on Monday on suspicion of having compromised the security of a U.S. Navy yard used in the maintenance of nuclear submarines, the Spanish government said.

The alleged hacker used the internet to penetrate a U.S. Defense Department computer in the Point Loma naval base in San Diego, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

The security breach was detected by US Navy computer experts, who alerted the National Criminal Intelligence Service, who in turn traced the infringement to a computer in Spain.

Details of the computer break-in were communicated to the cyber-terrorism unit of the Spanish Civil Guard, who then uncovered a group of people involved in internet computer hacking.

The investigation led to a computer operator in the Mediterranean port city of Malaga in southern Spain, who had interfered with a computer linked to a dry dock in Point Loma, which is used to maintain nuclear submarines.

Four other members of the hacking group were detained. Police suspect the group may have caused security breaches in over 100 computer systems around the world, reports the Associated Press.