Cyber Terrorism

Two Definitions• Definition of Cyber

Terrorism:The FBI defined cyber terrorism as "The premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which result in violence against noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or clandestine agents".

• The U.S. National Infrastructure Protection Center defined the term as:"A criminal act perpetrated by the use of computers and telecommunications capabilities, resulting in violence, destruction and/or disruption of services to create fear by causing confusion and uncertainty within a given population, with the goal of influencing a government or population to conform to particular political, social or ideological agenda".

Yet Another…

• James Lewis from the Center for Strategic and International Studies defined cyber terrorism as: "The use of computer network tools to shut down critical national infrastructure (such as energy, transportation, government operations) or to coerce or intimidate a government or civilian population".

What is Terrorism

• Major Hallmarks of Terrorism• Real imminent threat of death or

dismemberment, or damage to persons or groups.

• Psychological impact on victims• Destruction of trust or faith• Long-term consequences• Instills a sense of mortal terror in its

survivors

Daily Life

• Computers and the internet are an essential part of our daily life. They are being used by individuals and societies to make their life easier.

• They use them for storing information, processing data, sending and receiving messages, communications, controlling machines, typing, editing, designing, drawing, and almost all aspects of life.

The Players

• The tremendous role of computers stimulated criminals and terrorists to make it their preferred tool for attacking their targets.

• The internet has provided a virtual battlefield for countries having problems with each other such as:

• Taiwan against China,• Israel against Palestine,• India against Pakistan, • China against the US, • and many other countries.

History of the Players

• Who are cyber terrorists?From American point of view the most dangerous terrorist group is Al-Qaeda which is considered the first enemy for the US. According to US officials data from computers seized in Afghanistan indicate that the group has scouted systems that control American energy facilities, water distribution, communication systems, and other critical infrastructure.

Who’s Doing Who…

• After April 2001 collision of US navy spy plane and Chinese fighter jet, Chinese hackers launched Denial os Service (DoS) attacks against American web sites.

• A study that covered the second half of the year 2002 showed that the most dangerous nation for originating malicious cyber attacks is the United States with 35.4% of the cases down from 40% for the first half of the same year.

• South Korea came next with 12.8% , followed by China 6.2% then Germany 6.7% then France 4% . The UK came number 9 with 2.2%.

Another Example…

• According to the same study, Israel was the most active country in terms of number of cyber attacks related to the number of internet users.

The History

• This transformation in the methods of terrorism from traditional methods to electronic methods is becoming one of the biggest challenges to modern societies.

• In order to combat this type of terrorism a lot of effort should be done on four levels

• the personal level,• the country level, • the regional level,• and the international level to fight against this transnational type of crime.

Why Do They Choose This Method of Attack?

• It is Cheaper than traditional methods.

• The action is very Difficult to track.

• They can hide their personalities and location.

• There are no physical barriers or check points to cross.•

They can do it remotely from anywhere in the world.

• They can use this method to attack a large number of targets.

• They can affect a large number of people.

Current Events

• According to Kevin Coleman (Oct. 10, 2003) the internet being down for just one day could disrupt nearly $6.5 billion worth of transactions.

• At Worcester, Mass, in 1997, a hacker disabled the computer system of the airport control tower.In the same year a hacker from Sweden jammed the 911 emergency telephone system in the west-central Florida. This indicates that an attack could be launched from anywhere in the world.

• In 1998 attacks were launched against the NASA, the Navy, and the Department of Defense computer systems.

Current Events

• In 2000, someone hacked into Maroochy Shire, Australia waste management control system and released millions of gallons of raw sewage on the town.In Russia In the year 2000, a hacker was able to control the computer system that govern the flow of natural gas through the pipelines.

• Financial institutions have been subject to daily attacks or attack attempts. They are the most preferable targets for cyber criminals.

Dangers of Attacks

• The intention of a cyber terrorism attack could range from economic disruption through the interruption of financial networks and systems or

• used in support of a physical attack to cause further confusion and possible delays in proper response.

• Although cyber attacks have caused billions of dollars in damage and affected the lives of millions, we have yet witness the implications of a truly catastrophic cyber terrorism attack. What would some of the implications be?

The Big Picture

• Our dependence on the Internet and technology demands we ask ourselves a question:

• What would be the impact on our lives if that technology was disrupted?

• Many people don't realize the true scope of the information revolution that has taken place in the past two decades.

• When we think about our personal reliance on technology, we usually picture access to our Facebook accounts, e-mail and maybe online banking. 

BASIC Dependence

• We often overlook how dependent basic functions of society and government are on these same technologies. Examples include public transportation, the generation and distribution of electrical power and police communications, to name a few. Without these types of services, access to our personal e-mail or Twitter would be the least of our problems.

Video

• http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=7375993n&tag=contentMain;contentBody

Direct Implications Economically

• Loss of sales during the disruption - Staff time, network delays, intermittent access for business users- Increased insurance costs due to litigation - Loss of intellectual property – research, pricing, etc.- Costs of forensics for recovery and litigation- Loss of critical communications in time of emergency

Indirect Implications

- Loss of confidence and credibility in our financial systems - Tarnished relationships& public image globally- Strained business partner relationships – domestic and internationally- Loss of future customer revenues for an individual or group of companies- Loss of trust in the government and computer industry

Dangers and Response• The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, based in Atlanta. It

is charged• with developing the nation’s response to potential attacks involving

biological• warfare.• The nation’s financial network, which could shut down the flow of

banking data.• The attack would focus on the FedWire, the money-movement

clearing system• maintained by the Federal Reserve Board.• Computer systems that operate water-treatment plants, which could

contaminate• water supplies.•

More Dangers

• The nation’s communications network, including telephone and 911 call centers.

• Air traffic control, rail and public transportation systems. Computer networks that run electrical grids and dams.

• As many targets as possible in a major city. Los Angeles and San Francisco have

• been mentioned by terrorists, intelligence officials say.• Facilities that control the flow of information over the

Internet.• Richard Clarke, the• White House special adviser on cybersecurity, says such

sites, of which there are• 20 to 25, are “only secure in their obscurity.”

Response

• CDI: Cyberterrorism First Responder (CFR)

• CFR is designed to prepare first responders to effectively and efficiently act to counter any type of cyber-based terror attack against our nation’s internet, communications, and network-based infrastructure.

Response

• In the fall of 1997, the President's Com-mission on Critical Infrastructure Protection concluded that the U.S. infrastructure is increasingly vulnerable to attack and that local, state and Federal officials are not prepared to deal with the problem.

Recent Response

• In February 1998, Attorney General Janet Reno unveiled plans to establish a new FBI command center to fight "cyber attacks" against the nation's critical computer networks. The $64 million National Infrastructure Protection Center (NIPC) aims to unify existing Federal computer security efforts to investigate penetration of our banking, military, transportation, telecommunications and other critical systems.

Great Article

• http://www.riceconsulting.com/articles/threat-of-cyberterrorism.htm