The number of cyberattacks and intrusions into Pentagon computer networks this year is expected to top off at 24,000, an increase of 5 percent compared with last year, said the U.S. Department of Defense. However, the overwhelming majority of those intrusions . . .
The number of cyberattacks and intrusions into Pentagon computer networks this year is expected to top off at 24,000, an increase of 5 percent compared with last year, said the U.S. Department of Defense. However, the overwhelming majority of those intrusions are due to known vulnerabilities and poor security practices.

Ninety-nine percent of the successful attacks and intrusions can be attributed to known vulnerabilities and security gaps that have gone unfixed and poor security practices by defense agencies, said Navy Capt. Robert West, the deputy commander of the Pentagon's Joint Task Force for Computer Network Defense.

Malicious hackers and other criminals penetrated Pentagon network security at least 14,059 times during the first seven months of this year, said West. That number will probably increase by at least 10,000 before the year ends, he said. Hackers stung the Pentagon at least 22,144 times last year and 5,844 times in 1998.