-Caveat Lector-
Vmyths.com Virus Hysteria Alert
{17 January 2003, 01:35 CT}
The NYTimes.com home page now displays two major headlines about Iraq:
(1) "Inspectors Find Empty Warheads in an Iraqi Depot," and (2) "Iraqi
Computer Attacks Feared." The latter story cites a classified
document from the FBI's National Infrastructure Protection Center (FBI
NIPC).
The threat of pro-Iraqi hackers "could signal a 'potential crisis' in
national security," reporter Eric Lichtblau states in his opening
paragraph. "Experts say the link between Iraq and computer hacking may
have been underestimated and poses a growing threat to United States
security," the story goes on to say. Lichtblau quotes congressman
Robert E. Andrews (D-NJ), who declared "a cyberattack really fits
Saddam Hussein's paradigm for attacking us."
Andrews sits on the House Armed Services Committee -- but that doesn't
make him a computer security expert. The congressman merely suffers
from False Authority Syndrome (see http://Vmyths.com/fas/fas1.cfm for
details).
Vmyths dismisses a "possible" Iraqi cyber-attack as pure hysteria.
U.S. air-to-ground missiles will take out their entire
telecommunications infrastructure in the first hour of conflict. We
also dismiss the idea of a cyber-war waged by a band of childish Iraqi
sympathizers. FBI NIPC has a notorious habit of "reading tea leaves
and seeing ghosts." Any classified document they produce should be
viewed with utmost skepticism.
FBI NIPC has been the subject of multiple Hysteria Alerts. See
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=26&page=1 for more details. The
agency exists as a political & bureaucratic tool; it has always
suffered from "too many chiefs and not enough indians." Other
agencies have used FBI NIPC as a holding pen for their "problem
children" (e.g. CIA analyst Terrill Maynard). The antivirus industry
privately views them as a farce. FBI NIPC relies on contractors to
provide some expertise, plus they rely on security vendors who provide
expertise at no charge. The agency has a sordid history of
plagiarizing the investigative work of others. NIPC suffered a major
setback recently when FBI took away some important functions from them
in order to make those functions useful.
Reporter Eric Lichtblau has obtained classified documents in the past
(see http://Vmyths.com/rant.cfm?id=482&page=4 for example) filled with
computer security hysteria. Vmyths speculates his source(s) exploit
him to further their political agendas. We must note the fact his
NYTimes.com story highlights quotes from Michael Vatis -- the first
director of FBI NIPC who was fired (repeat: "fired") for turning the
agency into his personal PR machine.
Vmyths predicts the following:
(A) Internet media outlets will regurgitate the NYTimes.com article
in their own stories. We believe Eric Lichtblau will refuse to share
the classified document he obtained, and this will force other
reporters to turn to "experts" who will speculate wildly. Hungry
security vendors (e.g. mi2g) will ride on the coattails of media-borne
hysteria. So, too, will childish hackers who suffer from Narcissistic
Personality Disorder.
(B) If the U.S. goes to war, Internet users will overwhelm
mainstream media websites in an effort to see video clips of smart
bombs raining down on Iraqi bridges & facilities. This flood of
Internet users will be identical to a distributed-denial-of-service
attack.
(C) If the U.S. goes to war, disorganized U.S. hackers will
outnumber the Iraqi cyber-sympathizers by at least 10-to-1 -- just as
they did when disorganized Chinese hackers supposedly declared a
cyber-war on America (see http://Vmyths.com/hoax.cfm?id=252&page=3 for
details). Internet media outlets will provide little coverage of the
"other" side of the Iraqi cyber-war, for three major reasons: (1)
security fearmongers overwhelmingly live in first-world nations, (2)
disorganized sympathizers don't hire PR teams, and (3) Internet media
outlets don't send reporters to Iraq for on-the-scene coverage.
The mainstream media focuses on the physical aspects of war -- leaving
the cyber-war to Internet media outlets, who will report even the most
absurd stories under the pretense of "war coverage." Stay calm.
Stay reasoned. And stay tuned to Vmyths.
Rob Rosenberger, editor http://Vmyths.com
Acknowledgement:
Richard M. Smith (ComputerBytesMan.com) for
pointing Vmyths to the NYTimes.com website.
--------------- Useful links ------------------
Remember this when virus hysteria strikes
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=31&page=1
Other "cyber-wars" raging around the world as we speak
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=23&page=1
Common cliches in the antivirus world
http://Vmyths.com/resource.cfm?id=22&page=1
False Authority Syndrome
http://Vmyths.com/fas/fas1.cfm
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