Control of Knowledge and the Cyber Threat

Yair Sharan

doi:10.15344/2456-4451/2017/111

Abstract

Cyber terrorism is one of the emerging threats in recent years. The research community and especially that related to cyber sciences can contribute to reduce the ability of people with malicious intent to realize their plans. Control of knowledge is one of the major measures in this direction. The aim of this commentary is to pay attention to this issue and to several ways in which control can be achieved without harming the important research in relevant fields.

Highlights

Publication History: Cyber terrorism is one of the emerging threats in recent years
The awareness to new threats due to new developing technologies is increasing and various studies are done to evaluate these potential threats and how to avoid them. One of these studies is the European FESTOS study focusing on emerging threats from future technologies
Kleinrock are voluntary willing to apply measures which will reduce the accessibility of people with malicious intents to new knowledge and new technologies in order to prevent them from realizing their plans

Summary

Knowledge Control

The control of knowledge, the awareness of scientists and acceptance of codes of conduct are possible measures to treat the problematic issue of the dark side of technology in general and the risks emerging in cyber space in particular. Aspects referred too were the state-ofthe-art in the field of institutional control of sensitive knowledge and the state of the consciousness of these measures as well as the readiness to accept new mechanisms of controlling sensitive knowledge The focus of such studies have been the necessary trade-offs between security, human rights and the freedom of research and knowledge creation. The bottom-up approach has already proven itself in similar issues such as the Helsinki accord on human experiments or the Hippocratic Oath in medicine Regimes such as the control of Nuclear Weapons R&D show that the research community is ready to comply with control regimes, once we deal with sensitive knowledge, in which case security gets priority. Ongoing effort to raise awareness and understanding of the risks associated with the relevant field (e.g. Cyber) in general, and with dual-use scientific research in particular, should be maintained among the science community

Oversight and Supervision Mechanisms

Upgrade of Safety Regulations

High Level Responsibility for Science Security

Conclusion