Cyber-Attacks?

Galahad2 writes "The Washington Post has a lengthy article about the Bush administration's fears of an Al Qaeda cyber attack on the nation's infrastructure. Though we have all seen this sort of attack as a possiblity for a long time, I'm having a hard time believing that Al Qaeda is capable of anything along these lines." You're not the only one. The article does cite an example of the only known infrastructure attack, a case in Australia where a consultant used his inside knowledge of a local sewage treatment system to dump raw sewage, hoping for a contract to solve the problem he created.

Comments

Arabian money transfer

[ObviousGuy]

So that's why I've been getting these .ag spams...

As they say... "not bloody likely"

[NiGHTSFTP]

They have to resort to flying planes into buildings as weapons, and you expect them to be able to what? Use a computer?

Smart Move...

[Howzer]

This, and several other even less plausible recent "possible attack" stories look to me like a classic "cover your arse" move from the White House. The conversation in the "war-room" probably went something like this:

Flak 1: "Hey, we're really getting pasted over the fact that we "knew about" 9-11 and didn't warn anyone."
Solemn pause as the room thinks. Scratching of heads, etc.
Flak 2: "I know, let's warn everyone about every possible type of attack, so that if and when the next one occurs we can say..."
Flak 1: "... I told you so?! That's brilliant! Bob, call your guy at the Post and see if you can sell that cyber attack story. Frank, get the Times on the phone, tell them ... oh you'll think of something! Ted, start posting stories on Slashdot; those hackers suck up every meme that's going..."
Scene of chaos as flunkies run in every direction to Flak 1's barked commands.

Something like that, right?

A quote from Assistant Secretary of Defense thing

[aelvin]

"DCS and SCADA systems might be accessible to bits and bytes," Assistant Secretary of Defense John P. Stenbit said in an interview. But al Qaeda prefers simple, reliable plans and would not allow the success of a large-scale attack "to be dependent on some sophisticated, tricky cyber thing to work."

I don't know whether to be more concerned about a potential cyber attack or the fact that the Assistant Secretary of Defense refers to critical infrastructure as "some sophisticated, tricky cyber thing."

Re:Good timing for Palladium

[blane.bramble]

And detain all known contributors to any "terrorist" operating systems in military prison camp. Don't forget to do that.

Think about the children

Sprint Nevada?

[ShaunC]

From the article,

Unsettling signs of al Qaeda's aims and skills in cyberspace have led some government experts to conclude that terrorists are at the threshold of using the Internet as a direct instrument of bloodshed.

Fortunately, Sprint Nevada has absolutely no holes in their network! The claims that an attack would take place in Las Vegas on July 4th are clearly bogus ;)

Shaun

OBL's Secretaries

[Anonymous Coward]

Osama Bin Laden must be keeping a few dozen secretaries employed copying down all these brilliant attack ideas the FBI/CIA/etc keep coming up with and telling everyone about. Just look for recruitment firms in Pakistan that have placed a lot of secretaries lately and you've got him.

Re:Inconceivable?

[spike2131]

They keep using that word. I do not think it means what they think it means.

Re:smells like home

[mehfu]

Actually I think it sounds like home in another way: Microsoft hax0r (Gates) dumps raw sewage (Windows) to the public.

Politics

[eyeball]

Of course the Bush administration will finally have a real reason to blame the Clinton administration for somthing, with Al Gore being the inventor of the Internet and Cyber-everything.

Taliban Spam

[RageMachine]

Ring Ring.
Taliban: Taliban.
FBI: This is the FBI. Surrender, or you will face our technology.
Taliban: We do not fear your weapons. We have anti-aircraft, and anti-tank weapons.
FBI: We know that... But you don't have spam filters.
Click!
Taliban: Spam Filters. What is that?
Youve got Mail !!!
Displaying on screen: Would you like better rates on your home mortgage?
Youve got Mail !!!
Displaying on screen: Order Viagra!! Cal 1800-viagra, and be youthful again.
Youve got Mail !!!
Displaying on screen: Bin laden goat sex!!!
Youve got Mail !!!
Displaying on screen: See britney spears naked.
Youve got Mail !!!
Displaying on screen: Become rich working at home.
Taliban: Thats IT!!! Osumma on his OWN !!!

Re:Not an Al Quaeda tactic

[Tune]

> 2 months without most of the nation's backbone and 1000's of online businesses would be gone and even the brick & mortars would be reeling.

Ah well. 2 months with the nation's backbone and a 1000 online businesses bite the dust anyway ;-)

Consulting

[carlos_benj]

....a consultant used his inside knowledge of a local sewage treatment system to dump raw sewage, hoping for a contract to solve the problem he created.

Isn't that what consultants do everywhere? Come in, dump raw sewage, hope for a contract.