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On a hot day in mid-summer, at a time when electrical power demand is typically at its
peak, abruptly and without warning, the lights go out. A transformer, an integral part of
distributing electricity, has failed, an event that happens frequently as a result of an aging
infrastructure. Other transformers are configured to take up the load until they too
mysteriously fail. One by one, the increased demand on still operating portions of the
system fail. The transformers, costly to replace and with a lead time of 18 36 months to
acquire and install, have been damaged beyond repair. There is no power for that time.
Radio, television and Internet communication all dependent on electricity are
unavailable. Cell phones operate for up to a few days before they too, without the power
to charge their hungry batteries, fade to silence.
There is no power to operate gasoline pumps, hence there is soon no fuel. Driving would
be inadvisable anyway with no power to operate traffic signals. Those who do attempt to
drive will soon encounter gridlock. Perishable foods, without electricity to cool them, soon
perish. Purchasing additional foods will be impossible as point of sales systems in stores
become inoperable. Without power banks will be forced to close. ATMs will not work.
Security systems will not work, and crime will be nearly impossible to control. As days
follow into weeks and months the strain on emergency services will reach the breaking
point.
An event in which nine yes, nine interconnection substations are destroyed across the
United States would cause a complete disruption of electrical services in the contiguous 48
states, leading to the scenario described, and much worse. The odds of nine substations
going down at once are high, unless it is considered how vulnerable they are to attack. A
physical attack is more difficult in times of heightened awareness of terrorist activity. But
an attack via the Internet, which connects them all and is the path through which many of
the components of the power grid are operated is possible, to many even probable. Similar
catastrophic attacks on the nations dams and waterways, its financial industry,
transportation and shipping industries, and virtually the entire infrastructure, which are
interconnected via the Internet, are occurring daily.
When a cyber attack happens, are you and your family safe?
The United States Federal Bureau of Investigation defines cyberterrorism as, any
premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems,
computer programs, and data of which results in violence against noncombatant targets by
sub-national groups or clandestine agents. In this brief presentation the reality of existing
cyber terrorist activity is revealed and discussed, and options for preventing a catastrophic
attack via cyberspace on the nations critical infrastructure are offered for consideration by
the reader.
Preface
In 2012 the United Nations International Telecommunication Union asked Kaspersky Lab
to investigate a virus that had invaded computers of the Iranian Oil Ministry. Kaspersky
estimated that the virus had been operating since around the 2010, affecting primarily
governmental institutions and educational facilities in Iran, Israel, Saudi Arabia, and other
Middle Eastern countries. The attackers primarily sought PDF files, text files, and Auto
CAD drawings, evidently for intelligence purposes. In June 2012, an article was published
in the Washington Post which claimed that the virus named Flame by Kaspersky was
jointly developed by the NSA, the CIA, and Israeli military and intelligence services
beginning around 2007.
In February 2014 Kaspersky announced the discovery of another virus dubbed the
Mask that had targeted 31 nations around the world. Organizations described as
primary targets included government institutions and diplomatic offices, gas and oil
companies, and research organizations. The virus had been developed by Spanishspeaking attackers and was described by Kaspersky as a nation-state sponsored
campaign. Kaspersky further described the virus as having been active for more than five
years prior to its discovery. According to Kaspersky the virus was one of the most
advanced global cyber espionage operations to date due to the complexity of the toolset
used by the attackers.
Takeaways
The existence of malware designed for the purposes of espionage is evident.
Such malware is distributed globally and is monitored remotely from unknown
locations.
The source of such malware can only be surmised based on the nature of the
institutions or nations being targeted.
The same security weaknesses which are daily exploited by hackers are available to
be exploited by cyber terrorists.
government.
Not all cybercrime is cyberterrorism but all cyberterrorism is cybercrime.
Debate over semantics is self-defeating and detracts from finding a solution to the
problem of cyberterrorism.
Although never officially admitting responsibility, it is evident that the United
States and Israel, as well as Iran have in the past engaged in cyberattacks.
Many successful cyberattacks have gone undetected for years, and many back
doors have been left within supposedly classified systems by previous attacks.
The role of the federal government in preventing acts of cyberterrorism will only
expand as the potential for such activity expands.
pizza, fill prescriptions, schedule hair appointments, acquire news, and virtually every
waking minute how we monitor our smart phones and tablets are all dependent on the
Internet. The current generation just graduating from college and entering the work force
in 2016 have lived their entire lives relying on the Internet. Now virtually the whole of the
American infrastructure is connected as well.
Terrorism is here to stay. So is the Internet. The only solution is to enhance security to the
point where the threat is reduced to acceptable levels, and the damage minimized in the
event that an attack does penetrate the security levels.
Opposition to increased government intrusion into the Internet has become part of the
political dialogue that has increasingly polarized society along partisan lines. Like so
much of Americas infrastructure, which is crumbling in many areas, the decision to spend
the money necessary to restore and improve it is a political football, kicked back and forth
by politicians who cite philosophy rather than address the reality of the times. Many deny
the threat of cyberterrorism exists, not because of the data but because the constituents
who elect them to office remain uninformed of the dangers being faced. It is almost surreal
that the information superhighway is faced with the threat of attack largely because its
users lack the information they need to motivate their leaders to address the threat.
Takeaways
The threat of cyberterrorism is currently present, and will increase as conventional
efforts to control terrorism succeed.
Cyberspace will be a battlefield in any conventional warfare as well as in the
ongoing global war against terror.
The only way to reduce the risk of cyberterrorism is improved security and constant
vigilance by the government and the private sector working together.
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