Cyberwarfare. Everyone know that's the next big thing, but nobody seems to know how it will really play out. (This is part of why I'd like to take some classes in computer science - to learn more about what's possible)
We know a bit about what we've seen so far. Stuxnet. The 2007 attack on Estonia. Titan Rain. Criminals that use cyber attacks to get money - through ransomware, DDOS attacks, and more. I also know a little, very little about what's possible. Like the ability to hack someone's vehicle.
Cyberattacks are odd, in that it's hard to say if an attack is state-sponsored or based on individual criminal behavior. Attributing an attack to state is...difficult. Which also makes it hard to determine how a state should respond. Would a cyberattack be grounds for war? Would it lead to a more conventional response? At this point, there's a lot of uncertainty about it.
I want to point out a couple of things. DDOS attacks, to me at least, are more of a minor annoyance than a real threat. I wasn't aware of the recent attack until after the fact, for example, because I was at work and wasn't trying to access any of the sites affected. For me, as long as I can wait anywhere from a couple of hours or more, it's not a big deal. Yet criminals are apparently able to make money off of these, because businesses lose money the entire time the system is down. (These issues, btw, raise questions about whether we want political leaders who have a poor understanding of computer issues. It does not seem uncommon for older and more established politicians, for example, to be uncomfortable with smart phones and other aspects of the internet.)
While I heartily recommend talking to someone with real expertise on these issues, I do want to make a few points.
First, given what I said about how little Friday's DDOS attack affected me personally, some attacks are not really effective if you're able to unplug. This is worth pointing out, as there still are a number of people who haven't moved into the internet world completely. Granted, most of them are a bit older...but in my current job I am repeatedly astounded at how many of my employees are not comfortable with or familiar with what I used to consider basic computing skills. I've had to assist them with figuring out how to get information over the internet - whether using a website to get a company award, or information on their retirement plans, and more.
I do wonder whether cyberattacks would be more problematic in another twenty or thirty years, as people who know how to do things the old way are no longer around. (For example - when I was in the military we all learned how to read maps. Nowadays, many people use the GPS on their phones to navigate. If an attack took down GPS, how many people could navigate using a map?) Or take the example I used earlier where someone hacked a car. Older cars might be safer, since they don't have all the computer chips and whatnot inside.
It also means that EPM attacks are a very, very serious concern...since it would shut down a LOT of things we've become dependent on.
The importance of the internet is also worth pointing out, though again we still have old technology (like radios) that we can fall back on if need be.
I'm posting this more to point out the very large question mark we all should have with regards to cyberattacks, then to provide any real answers. I think/hope that most countries are taking steps to secure any critical infrastructure, and have fallback plans in place in case computer chips and technology fail. I believe the Department of Defense has taken steps to create a Cyber Command, and this could well become another branch (Air, Land, Sea...and now Cyber?)
We know a bit about what we've seen so far. Stuxnet. The 2007 attack on Estonia. Titan Rain. Criminals that use cyber attacks to get money - through ransomware, DDOS attacks, and more. I also know a little, very little about what's possible. Like the ability to hack someone's vehicle.
Cyberattacks are odd, in that it's hard to say if an attack is state-sponsored or based on individual criminal behavior. Attributing an attack to state is...difficult. Which also makes it hard to determine how a state should respond. Would a cyberattack be grounds for war? Would it lead to a more conventional response? At this point, there's a lot of uncertainty about it.
I want to point out a couple of things. DDOS attacks, to me at least, are more of a minor annoyance than a real threat. I wasn't aware of the recent attack until after the fact, for example, because I was at work and wasn't trying to access any of the sites affected. For me, as long as I can wait anywhere from a couple of hours or more, it's not a big deal. Yet criminals are apparently able to make money off of these, because businesses lose money the entire time the system is down. (These issues, btw, raise questions about whether we want political leaders who have a poor understanding of computer issues. It does not seem uncommon for older and more established politicians, for example, to be uncomfortable with smart phones and other aspects of the internet.)
While I heartily recommend talking to someone with real expertise on these issues, I do want to make a few points.
First, given what I said about how little Friday's DDOS attack affected me personally, some attacks are not really effective if you're able to unplug. This is worth pointing out, as there still are a number of people who haven't moved into the internet world completely. Granted, most of them are a bit older...but in my current job I am repeatedly astounded at how many of my employees are not comfortable with or familiar with what I used to consider basic computing skills. I've had to assist them with figuring out how to get information over the internet - whether using a website to get a company award, or information on their retirement plans, and more.
I do wonder whether cyberattacks would be more problematic in another twenty or thirty years, as people who know how to do things the old way are no longer around. (For example - when I was in the military we all learned how to read maps. Nowadays, many people use the GPS on their phones to navigate. If an attack took down GPS, how many people could navigate using a map?) Or take the example I used earlier where someone hacked a car. Older cars might be safer, since they don't have all the computer chips and whatnot inside.
It also means that EPM attacks are a very, very serious concern...since it would shut down a LOT of things we've become dependent on.
The importance of the internet is also worth pointing out, though again we still have old technology (like radios) that we can fall back on if need be.
I'm posting this more to point out the very large question mark we all should have with regards to cyberattacks, then to provide any real answers. I think/hope that most countries are taking steps to secure any critical infrastructure, and have fallback plans in place in case computer chips and technology fail. I believe the Department of Defense has taken steps to create a Cyber Command, and this could well become another branch (Air, Land, Sea...and now Cyber?)
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