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CyberTerrorism - Reality or FUD?

Posted by ryuzaki0 on from the ghost-in-the-machine dept.

Random Utinni writes "The director of the U.S. Cyber Consequences Unit (part of Homeland Security) claims that terrorist hackers are poised to create total chaos. He predicts all sorts of scenarios, from changing the formulae for medications to causing cars to explode after a few weeks of driving. Is this guy fearmongering for an increased budget, or is he on to something here?"

3 of 358 comments (clear)

  1. Re:Why the hell... by sgt_doom · · Score: 0, Troll
    Am I the only one who is thinking?

    Why no, those others who may have also been thinking (although not the type of thoughts normally healthy individuals think) decided to pay $54 million to the Taliban on March 2001 and agree to withdraw all the American troops from Saudi Arabia (Mission Accomplished!!) and those cutouts were sent (19 Islamic would-be terrorists) to make things appear copesetic.

    Fortunately, others of us also happen to think from time to time, and even deduce the obvious --- simply check who benefited from 9/11/01 (simple criminal investigation), and check what connections there may have been among some of the passengers and certain government agencies and defense contractors and defense projects in the past.....

    ["Tyranny, like Hell, is not easily conquered..." Thomas Paine]

  2. This depends on how major infrastructure ... by plasmacutter · · Score: 0, Troll

    If computers vital controlling major infrastructure such as train signals, etc are not properly isolated from the internet, they are vulnerable to hackers.

    While i severely doubt hackers could cause at-once catastrophic infrastructure collapse (my ill probably pay for that now that i said they cant do it XD), I do believe targetted attacks can cause disasters like, in my example, train wrecks.

    I'm not too incredibly worried. The same headaches with compatibility and differing standards among private companies will assure it will be incredibly difficult to cause anything catyclismically bad in one fell swoop.

    --
    VLC FOR MAC IS DYING! IF YOU DEVELOP, PLEASE SAVE IT!!
  3. Re:TERRORISM IS FUD PERIOD by linvir · · Score: 1, Troll
    They became nonviable the day some guy called Muhammad said "Now go kill all the infedels".
    Wrong again, fatty. Islam is an incredibly tolerant religion. Its big problem is a surplus of asshats.
    You see, there are entire nations that are teaching their subjects right from childhood that the west is evil and needs to be cleansed in the name of Allah. These people are setting up little cells in your country right now pretty much just biding time. Go ask at your local mosque how long they think it will be until your wife/partner will be wearing a burqa.
    Well blow me down! Entire nations you say? Cleansed in the name of Allah you say? Setting up little cells you say? Here is what you can do: You can keep your irrational fear of the muslim world. I hereby reject your little meme. It will not find a host in me.

    You want to know who is teaching the subjects right from childhood that the West is evil? Inadequate western soldiers. The ones who can't aim their missiles right, and confuse schools with tanks. The marines who suddenly flip out and kill a whole town because some dude dropped a spoon. The ones who blow up a town's only bridge and try to stop the residents from even crossing the river by boat.

    Iran, for example, is now run by a man who claims his role is to quicken the arrival of the muslim messiah, an event which according to the Quaran can only come to pass by means of greatly increased chaos in the world.
    Hey, you've got me there. He's clearly trying to throw the world into chaos for his evil religion, and there's nothing I can say to debunk this claim! It's the only logical conclusion, right?