Cyber Terrorism

[Guest]

[Melih]

Please read about Cyber Terrorism. It is a real danger if we don't do anything about it!

I welcome your comments.

thanks

Melih

[John Buchanan]

I think you are basically repeating yourself, just saying it a different way.

Yes, we can and do agree with you in that this is happening now (cyber terrorism), and has been happening for some time now.
Yes, AV is an outmoded system that has had its day.

(You asked for comments).
What the world needs are new laws to help fight this.
Software solutions such as what is offered here at Comodo is one good step in the right direction, but I think more is needed from the law makers themselves.

[fazio93]

"Anti Virus is a default Allow system"

That's funny, but true. 

[Toxteth O'Grady]

Quote:" Its a connected world! A person in China is connected to a person in Washington, the days of trying to create a perimeter security, like a city within Castle like they used to do hundreds of years ago, is not a viable model anymore!"


You're right about that (although this is not what you meant):  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7740483.stm

[Melih]

Quote:" Its a connected world! A person in China is connected to a person in Washington, the days of trying to create a perimeter security, like a city within Castle like they used to do hundreds of years ago, is not a viable model anymore!"


You're right about that (although this is not what you meant):  http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7740483.stm

These things have been going on for so long... its not even news! These are the tip of iceberg incidents and the scary stuff is still ahead of us.

we can sit and wait for it to happen and then learn from it and react and apply security
or
we can do something about it now.

Melih

[Japo]

What the world needs are new laws to help fight this.
Software solutions such as what is offered here at Comodo is one good step in the right direction, but I think more is needed from the law makers themselves.

Sure. After all politicians suceeded in making it impossible to buy drugs.

[Melih]

Sure. After all politicians suceeded in making it impossible to buy drugs.

Any support will be helpful, however we can't sit and do nothing. We have to stop these powerful tools that we call (Computers and Internet connectivity) from falling into wrong hands.

Melih

[razfam]

There are many forms of cyberterrorism ranging from using the internet to conduct pre-operational surveillance/intelligence gathering to communicating operational plans to using the web to sabotage our critical infrastructure/banking systems, pys ops, and recruitment. 

Although there have been quantum leaps in the fight against cyberterrorism, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. 

Just this past week the Pentagon was hit with a virus.

http://www.infoworld.com/news/feeds/08/11/21/Old-worm-infects-Department-of-Defense-computers.html?source=gs

Yes, there is a lot that can be done at the macro level e.g., better international laws, international treaties, information sharing, enforcement, etc.  All of this is beyond our control and influence.

I am by far no computer expert!  However, I believe the first step is to develop cost effective security programs, which includes expert oversight/guidance.  Most IT folks are pretty well versed in installing software, networking, and fixing a computer on the fritz.  How many proactively monitor their systems to identify potential attacks, probes, etc.

In addition, people need to be educated.  The average Joe has no idea what is going on.  How long did it take for YouTube to ban terrorism videos?  Most people have no idea how the internet around the world is facilitating the spread terrorism.

The National Intelligence Council just released an unclassified report called, Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World.  The report is an interesting read.  Just conduct a word search (cyber, internet, web) of the report for a quick synopsis.

http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_2025/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf

Cyberterrorism is not going away anytime soon.

[ailef]

my next machine will integrate hardware chipsets to secure the system, cause softwares alone to protect us will live very hard years, AVs are  not able to offer a response, so next will be other ways of protection.
so some very strong hardware protection on mobo, cpus, system storage, network cards, will come very fast with the situation, or each machine that will want to use the internet will need some ident number with a certificat allowing it to connect the internet like cars and driving license,
anyway, if they leave the wan open to anything,
hardware security will become strong enough to keep systems safe and no way to bypass multiple hardware protections to access data and corrupt anything...
what do u think?

[Melih]

There are many forms of cyberterrorism ranging from using the internet to conduct pre-operational surveillance/intelligence gathering to communicating operational plans to using the web to sabotage our critical infrastructure/banking systems, pys ops, and recruitment. 

Although there have been quantum leaps in the fight against cyberterrorism, there is still a lot of work that needs to be done. 

Just this past week the Pentagon was hit with a virus.

http://www.infoworld.com/news/feeds/08/11/21/Old-worm-infects-Department-of-Defense-computers.html?source=gs

Yes, there is a lot that can be done at the macro level e.g., better international laws, international treaties, information sharing, enforcement, etc.  All of this is beyond our control and influence.

I am by far no computer expert!  However, I believe the first step is to develop cost effective security programs, which includes expert oversight/guidance.  Most IT folks are pretty well versed in installing software, networking, and fixing a computer on the fritz.  How many proactively monitor their systems to identify potential attacks, probes, etc.

In addition, people need to be educated.  The average Joe has no idea what is going on.  How long did it take for YouTube to ban terrorism videos?  Most people have no idea how the internet around the world is facilitating the spread terrorism.

The National Intelligence Council just released an unclassified report called, Global Trends 2025: A Transformed World.  The report is an interesting read.  Just conduct a word search (cyber, internet, web) of the report for a quick synopsis.

http://www.dni.gov/nic/PDF_2025/2025_Global_Trends_Final_Report.pdf

Cyberterrorism is not going away anytime soon.

You hit the nail on the head razfam! We first need to stop the ever growing (both in numbers and computing power) Computing base from falling into the wrong hands and that require a paradigm shift in the way we architect security products and in our business model. That is what we have done by creating Default Deny security products that are free!

Even though I do believe government owned organisations (pentagon etc) could do more to protect themselves, the real danger is leaving the colossal amount of the power of the Computer base out there up for grabs for the malicious intent to take over.  This power base is doubling in power every 18 months and it can be turned against us. Are we ready if this happens? I seriously do not think so!

Melih

[razfam]

my next machine will integrate hardware chipsets to secure the system, cause softwares alone to protect us will live very hard years, AVs are  not able to offer a response, so next will be other ways of protection.
so some very strong hardware protection on mobo, cpus, system storage, network cards, will come very fast with the situation, or each machine that will want to use the internet will need some ident number with a certificat allowing it to connect the internet like cars and driving license,
anyway, if they leave the wan open to anything,
hardware security will become strong enough to keep systems safe and no way to bypass multiple hardware protections to access data and corrupt anything...
what do u think?

Ailef,

If you are refereeing to hardware similar to Intel's vPro chip-based security, then I agree this is a move in the right direction to providing end-users with better security.  Just remember, as technology evolves so do the tactics/methodologies of hackers to breach that technology.  That is way a layered defense system is so important; more precisely you need defense-in-depth. 

[Toxteth O'Grady]

How can you stop or prevent terrorism, when even "simple" crime is flourishing like never before?

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/7742455.stm

[grayhair]

   Protection against cyber-terrorism begins at home (literally at home, and the workplace).  This includes protection against criminal intent, and people who just have big noses.
   Protect your own computers.  Help your firends and neighbors also.
   Online crime and online terrorism may reach a point where government(s) feel the need to act, and over extend their reach into what we all do.  Give that some thought.
   
   Edited for spelling (darn fat fingers).   

[Melih]

Indeed it starts at home!

How many people you know of was an unintendent accomplice to an online crime last night?

Millions of computers are comprimised and spreading infection and botnets are controlling these. At the moment (emphasis is at the moment) the people who control these botnets are criminals rather than terrorists. But soon, terrorists will utilise these for their own agendas. its not an if, but its when. These botnets will start feeding terrorist organisations and start being part of their arsenal against us! So we have to stop our computers from being part of this botnet network!

Melih

[ailef]

that's not easy, all people would need to learn coding, use debug tools, break compilation way to hide bad intention of the prog. u can always use some machine just to test files and see what it does on the system, i dont code at all and i can tell i'm sure my machines are 100% safe. there's always new exploits, u just surf the web then your machine is corrupted and u dont even notice anything.
it becomes a hard task to keep a system safe from any crap code.
all ISP got a role too in to secure users by filtering more attacks travelling their network.
if i put my machine in DMZ mode on my cable ISP, comodo blocks like 16 000 attacks a day, that's crazy.
i didnt try on my adsl ISP but it would be probably the same result.

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