Cyberterrorism: hype or reality?

Abstract

Potential threats to critical infrastructure are top of the agenda as is demonstrated by the forced resignation of the head of the US National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) in early January, reported by CBS News. Energy Secretary Samuel Bodman asked NNSA chief, Linton Brooks, to step down because of a computer security breach at the Los Alamos laboratory in New Mexico. Brooks did not notify Bodman about the theft of files containing personal data of employees. Also, classified data from the lab was found in a contractor's home stored on flash drives. Observers are worried that the contractor also had clearance to access documents on how to deactivate locks on nuclear weapons – which could tell terrorists how to operate them. The fear of cyberterrorism is not going away and some governments are recognizing its potential to cause chaos although it is not clear if any deaths can be directly attributed to it so far. Security company head, Mathieu Gorge, debates the impact cyberterrorism could have on countries’ critical infrastructure in this edition. He discusses the advantages operating in cyberspace offers terrorists. There are no borders of legal control – making it difficult for prosecutors to apply laws to some crimes. Criminals can operate from countries where cyber laws barely exist making them almost untouchable. Cyberterrorists can also use the Internet and hacking tools to gather information on targets Mathieu Gorge analyzes whether cyberterrorism is a real threat and what can be done about it.