Some quick thoughts on Security and computer based terrorism.
> At 02:33 PM 9/7/98 -0700, you wrote:
> >John, I'm the orginal skeptic of anything the govt. claims or wants. But
> >automatically believing anything you read online is a recipe for leading a
> >delusional life. This sort of report would have to be verified by a few
>
> I read about this in "real" print publication, e-business advisor magazine,
> September 1998 issue, in the e-biz buzz column. They do have a web site,
If one is using Java enabled on Internet Exploder, I have no doubt
that this is possible!
When I was working at a certain large corporation with a strong
internet involvement, (not that one,) a year and a half ago; I received a
memo informing me that it was a firing offense to run IE on a PC in their
corporation because of the security risks. They did use Netscape, however
on Unix platforms. Another memo discussing security risks said that using
IE was the equivalent of leaving all the doors unlocked at night, and
telling the guards to go home. They were looking at how to identify and
block all Active X and Java packets. Yes, java can provide important
functionality; however the security concerns weigh against allowing
EXTERNAL Java applications, even though use of Java on trusted INTERNAL
servers was approved. Active-X was just plain banned! (Didn't run on
Unix, anyway.)
Last year, crackers used Active X to subvert Quicken and transfer
money from one bank to another bank. One hopes there has been some
improvement, but we all know how MS tends not to pay attention to security
issues, unless they are someone else's.
Last year, several router manufacturers announced routers capable of
blocking Active-X and Java packets because of this kind of security risk.
So yes, I believe that this warning has strong merit. That is why I
use an old fashioned non-graphical e-mail handler, and avoid using the
common low security windows platforms. (Not that I have anything to hide
from the Federal Government... but some things are proprietary income
producing data and code the loss of which could have commercial impact.)
> I too am also a skeptic when it comes to things like this, but with the
> recent reports of security problems with eudora and microsoft email clients
> this started to sound possible.
It is quite probable. And if the CIA/FBI were not working to develop
as well as block this kind of technology, they would be derelict of duty.
As would we, if we were not trying to insure our own privacy. Someone
will develop these tools. It is best that our side develop them, for only
then will some of the government and corporate ostriches recognize that
they need to secure their systems against hostile agents funded by
terrorist organizations.
How important is computer security? If you would wish to wreak havoc
on the USA, blowing up a few dozen Federal or corporate buildings will
have far less effect than hijacking cable TV data feeds or far worse,
altering the economics information Greenspan and co use to determine how
to keep the economy on an even keel!
Let say you want to make your terrorist organization well known.
What is more effective, blowing up the World Trace Center? Or warping
corporate advertising over print and Cable TV media over and over? Do the
World Trade Center, and everyone fears and hates you. Do the advertising,
and if well done, people will actually start to favor your side... And you
probably don't even need to kill anyone. Amazing concept, no?
Or screw up the economic indicators, and let it roll into a
stagflation situation like that which we had under Jimmy the Peanut.
What does it take? Wolf Computer went out of business here because
they had an accounting error that made them think they had some half a
million dollars more in assets than they had. A little theft, and they
found themselves without adequate margin. Poof! Bankrupt. They kept
their books on the computer, as virtually all corporations.
Do that to GM, Ford, and Chrysler. Now where are your unemployment
figures? How many kids don't have money for adequate health care, let
alone college, when their parents are laid off? And what happens to our
GNP? What of the rest of the economy when those dollars leave the
country? It's Uncle Jimmy's stagflation time blues all over again! How
many budding geniuses of that generation never got to college??? How many
college grads of that generation DID NOT FIND WORK that rewarded this
society in the way their genius could???
Or target the economic indicators directly, and let Greenspan and
company come to the wrong conclusions, and screw ALL of America...
On a smaller scale, we recently had an incident in California, where
someone sent out bills, demanding payment to a third party, as a way of
besmirching that party. All it took was a "phone book" CD-ROM to create a
mailing list. If failed because most of the victims had never heard of
the firm before, and so some reported it to the police. Had the
perpetrators secured an actual mailing list from that third party, a list
of clients, the smirch would have been far more effective.
Security is important, too important to ignore. We are indeed
fortunate that most criminals are too stupid to use computers
effectively...
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