Monday, December 12, 2005
Cyberterrorism: Myth or Reality?
ZDNet: Printer Friendly - Terrorism threat to Net 'overstated'
A cybersecurity expert and founder of an Internet security company, Bruce Schneier, does not believe in that terrorists are a real threat to internet security. It's a lot of "hype" according to Schneier:
ZDNet asked Schneier to respond to Roger Cummings prediction of a potential alliance between criminals and hackers and terrorists. Schneier answered that it would make a good movie. According to Schneier:
The ZDNet interviewer asked Schneier an interesting follow up question:
So the trick according to this particular Internet security expert is to defend ourselves against "multiple threats" while not allowing the fear of any one of these menaces to prompt us to relinquish our cyber-liberties to a national security state built on the fear of terrorism.
Schneier recently gave a speech at a security conference where he summed up his feelings about the 'threat' posed by cyberterrorism:
A cybersecurity expert and founder of an Internet security company, Bruce Schneier, does not believe in that terrorists are a real threat to internet security. It's a lot of "hype" according to Schneier:
"The U.S. government gives a lot of money to fight terrorism, so cyberterrorism is hyped. I hear people talk about the risks to critical infrastructure from cyberterrorism, but the risks come primarily from criminals. But at the moment, criminals aren't as "sexy" as terrorists.Schneier thinks we should be spending more money on defending against criminal attacks on security and less on the mythic cyber terrorist.
ZDNet asked Schneier to respond to Roger Cummings prediction of a potential alliance between criminals and hackers and terrorists. Schneier answered that it would make a good movie. According to Schneier:
"Roger Cummings (director of the NISCC) said on Tuesday there is a danger that the links between criminals and hackers, and hackers and terrorists, will become stronger...Well, if we were making a movie, then that's what we'd do. I think that the terrorist threat is overhyped, and the criminal threat is underhyped."
The ZDNet interviewer asked Schneier an interesting follow up question:
What do you think about governments using the threat of terrorism to collect information on citizens and the implications of that on police powers?
It's very scary. This is a very complex issue--one I've written books about. My view is that we're faced with multiple threats. The worry is that while we are trying to defend ourselves against one threat (terrorism), we are actually making ourselves less secure. People are scared, and because they're scared they're handing over powers to the government and giving up their liberties. The threat of terrorism in the U.K. has led to national e-card debates and biometric passport discussions.
So the trick according to this particular Internet security expert is to defend ourselves against "multiple threats" while not allowing the fear of any one of these menaces to prompt us to relinquish our cyber-liberties to a national security state built on the fear of terrorism.
Schneier recently gave a speech at a security conference where he summed up his feelings about the 'threat' posed by cyberterrorism:
"Nobody's getting blown to bits," Schneier said. "I don't think that cyberterrorism exists--if you add 'terrorism' to things, you get more budget. If you can't get e-mail for a day, you're not terrorized, you're inconvenienced."
"We should save 'terror' for the things that deserve it, not things that piss us off," he added.
