US ponders cyber war plans
© 2003 BBC
Friday, 7th February 2003 [Excerpt] - The US is reportedly drawing
up guidelines for cyber attacks against countries such as Iraq. According
to the Washington Post, President Bush has already laid the foundations for
the US Government to develop a strategy on how and when it can penetrate and
disrupt enemy computer systems.
There has also been speculation in Washington that the Pentagon is considering
some form of cyber war in conjunction with any military action against Iraq
the paper said.
Information warfare
Any cyber war against Iraq would have to take into account how crucial computers
are to the running of the country.
"Iraq has a relatively advanced telecommunications
infrastructure and any cyber attack could cripple emergency services and prevent
both the military and civilians from talking to each other,"
said DK Matai, Chief Executive of security firm mi2g.
"It would play an important part in shaking
citizen's confidence in the government," he added.
Credible threat?
"The Slammer worm paralysed Korea, disrupted
13,000 ATMs in the US and disabled the emergency services in Seattle,"
said Mr Matai.
He imagines a scenario where a piece of malicious software is released onto
computer networks, causing serious disruption in the cyber equivalent of a
dirty bomb.
And any such attack would require state sponsorship.
"To bring a nation to its knees any cyber
warfare attack would require nation state backing," he
said.
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