* subscribe at http://techPolice.com
Bracing for cyberwar
Jovi Tanada Yam
Copyright 2001 BusinessWorld Publishing Corporation
BusinessWorld
Launching an attack in cyberspace is as easy as pressing the Enter key.
After the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon,
many corporations are taking big steps to protect their computer networks. In addition
to a possible biological or chemical warfare, they fear that another form of terrorism
may be launched in cyberspace.
Cyber-terrorism often follows closely on the heels of international conflicts. While
the United States has about 40% of the world's computers, the threat of
cyber-terrorism is global. Some examples follow:
* After the April 1, 2001 collision between a Chinese jet fighter and a US
surveillance plane, there were thousands of defacements of US websites;
* During the Gulf War, Dutch hackers stole information about US troop movements from
US Defense Department computers and tried to sell it to the Iraqis, who thought it was
a hoax and turned it down;
* In March 1997, a 15-year-old Croatian youth penetrated computers at a US Air Force
base in Guam; and
* In 1997 and 1998, an Israeli youth calling himself "The Analyzer" allegedly hacked
into Pentagon computers with help from California teenagers. Ehud Tenebaum, 20, was
charged in Jerusalem in February 1999 with conspiracy and harming computer systems.
In a July 3, 2000 interview, Richard Clarke, national coordinator for security,
infrastructure protection and counter-terrorism at the US National Security Council,
said that a devastating surprise attack, sometimes referred to as an "electronic Pearl
Harbor," was inevitable.
Of particular concern to the National Security Council is the Pentagon, the military
stronghold of the world's most powerful nation. "It's the Holy Grail of hackers," says
computer security expert Rob Clyde. "It's about bragging rights for individuals and
people with weird agendas."
The US Defense Department acknowledges that there are about 60 and 80 attacks a day on
the Pentagon's systems.
The unspoken fear at the back of most people's minds is that if somebody wanted to
launch a global cyber-attack, it would be as easy as a walk in the park.
"A lot of people are concerned about cyber-terrorism since the attacks," said Joel
Pogar, an information security expert. "Electronic attacks are even easier to do
because you don't have to do them on US soil. The Internet and electronic
communications are a lot more vulnerable. You don't need a plane to attack an Internet
connection."
Vulnerability of the information infrastructure stems in large part to the
deregulation of the telephone and power industries: To stay competitive and cut costs,
companies have reduced spare capacity, leaving them more vulnerable to outages and
disruptions in service.
Another flaw is the domination of the telecommunications system by phone companies and
Internet service providers (ISPs) that do not trust each other. As a result, the
systems do not mesh seamlessly and are vulnerable to failures and disruptions.
Moreover, a lot of Internet users are not security-conscious.
"There is a saying that the amount of 'clue' (knowledge) on the Internet is constant,
but the size of the Internet is growing exponentially. There are a lot of clueless
people out there. It's basically a situation where people don't know how to lock the
door before walking out, so more and more machines are vulnerable," noted Fred
Schneider, a professor of computer science at Cornell University.
Meanwhile, the tools of mayhem are readily available.
There are about 30,000 hacker-oriented sites on the Internet, bringing hacking - and
terrorism - within the reach of even the technically challenged.
"You no longer have to have knowledge, you just have to have the time," says Rob
Clyde, a computer security expert.
"You just download the tools and the programs. It's the democratization of hacking.
And with these programs ... they can click on a button and send bombs to your network,
and the systems will go down."
While cyber-attacks are easy to launch, their origins are difficult to trace.
Indeed, tracing cyber-attacks is like tracking vapor. Said Schneider, "There are lots
of opportunities for cyber-terrorism. That's very, very scary."
============================================================
Earn your degree from Kennedy-Western University at your
convenience and in less time than traditionally required.
Apply your previous work experience towards your degree.
FREE Catalog!
{URL}KWU
============================================================
--via http://techPolice.com
archive: http://theMezz.com/cybercrime/archive
subscribe: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
--via http://theMezz.com
==^================================================================
EASY UNSUBSCRIBE click here: http://topica.com/u/?b1dhr0.b2EDp2
Or send an email To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]
This email was sent to: [email protected]
T O P I C A -- Register now to manage your mail!
http://www.topica.com/partner/tag02/register
==^================================================================
