Ten years in the wilderness — a retrospective Part 2: Cyber Security = National Security

Abstract

Security experts, Richard Power and Dario Forte believe that it is only a matter of time until there is a serious cyber attack on the National Information Infrastructure. They believe that a cyber attack will occur in tandem with a physical one. Many information warfare attacks have occurred and are likely ongoing. A Japanese cult, which launched a gas attack on the Tokyo subway system, nearly succeeded in getting software that it developed implanted in the Japanese Defence Agency computer system. Al-Qaeda has also reportedly attacked the US infrastructure. In addition, it emerged in December that Chinese attackers made highly professional attempts to penetrate US Government computers without leaving barely a trace. Experts believe the attacks to be state-sponsored. Despite the evidence of information warfare activity, it has gone down in priority in the US Government defence agenda. Under the Clinton administration, the Government released a National Strategy to Secure Cyberspace (NSSC). It also had a dedicated cyber security Tzar - Richard Clarke. But the emphasis fell away after the September 11 terrorist attacks in New York and the appointment of the new Bush administration. And citizens don't only have to worry about foreign information invasions. Information warfare can also be conducted domestically. Some experts believe that it is possible to meddle with electronic voting systems, causing a threat to democracy. The US General Accountability Office has voiced concerns including lack of encryption and memory card problems… This month's column is the second in a three part retrospective on this past decade in the field of Cyber Security. Where are we? How far have we come? Where are we going? Last month, we took inventory with “Nine False Notions About Cyber Security” and “Nine Steps to Success.” This month, we will explore the threat of Information Warfare both foreign and domestic in “Cyber Security = National Security.” Next month, in the third and final section of our retrospective, we will report on outstanding technical issues and industry trends.