California, May 22: The publication of some of Cisco systems Inc.'s proprietary software blueprints does not create an increased security risk to the equipment that powers much of the internet, the company said. The world's largest maker of networking gear posted a message on its web site more than a week after a portion of its internetworking operating system source code was illegally copied and posted on a Russian site. Cisco said it was cooperating with the FBI and other law enforcement agencies investigating the theft. It referred questions about the investigation to the FBI, which did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment yesterday. "As a matter of policy, Cisco takes information security very seriously and continues to take active measures to protect its proprietary information.”
The company said the theft "was not the result of a vulnerability in any product or service offered by Cisco.
It also said the company has no reason to believe the leak was the result of any malicious activity by an employee or contractor. Analysts and experts say it's possible that the source code could be used by hackers to find and exploit vulnerabilities in the software. So far, no such hacks have been reported. Bureau Report