Friday, September 17, 2004
Cybersecurity not much improved
About six years ago, Time magazine ran a cover article on cybersecurity in the United States. (Sorry, don't have a link to it.) One of the article's conclusions was that America was not well prepared to resist attacks in cyberspace.
It appears things have only changed marginally, although attempts are being made to shore up the fences.
The NZ Herald yesterday ran an interview with Paul Kearns, director of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). "I don't think people have an understanding of what could be the impact of cyber attacks," Kearns said. "They don't understand the threat."
In recent months, US security officials have warned that the nation is not prepared against cyber terrorism.
"I am confident that there is no system connected to the Internet, either by modem or fixed connection, that can't be hacked into," said Laurin Dodd, who oversees INEEL's national security programs.
He added that only a computing system totally isolated from the outside, such as that used by the Central Intelligence Agency, would be immune to hacking.
Another problem is that many once-isolated systems used to run railroads, pipelines and utilities are now also accessible via the internet and thus susceptible to sabotage.
About six years ago, Time magazine ran a cover article on cybersecurity in the United States. (Sorry, don't have a link to it.) One of the article's conclusions was that America was not well prepared to resist attacks in cyberspace.
It appears things have only changed marginally, although attempts are being made to shore up the fences.
The NZ Herald yesterday ran an interview with Paul Kearns, director of Idaho National Engineering and Environmental Laboratory (INEEL). "I don't think people have an understanding of what could be the impact of cyber attacks," Kearns said. "They don't understand the threat."
In recent months, US security officials have warned that the nation is not prepared against cyber terrorism.
"I am confident that there is no system connected to the Internet, either by modem or fixed connection, that can't be hacked into," said Laurin Dodd, who oversees INEEL's national security programs.
He added that only a computing system totally isolated from the outside, such as that used by the Central Intelligence Agency, would be immune to hacking.
Another problem is that many once-isolated systems used to run railroads, pipelines and utilities are now also accessible via the internet and thus susceptible to sabotage.
