In a recent CBS 60 Minutes segment Jim Lewis, a Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), described a major attack or “digital Pearl Harbor” that occurred in 2007 against the U.S. where massive amounts of data were stolen by foreign entities. These were neither the first attacks nor were they the last attacks against the U.S. would see. These attacks have continued daily and are leading to what Lewis has called “the death of a thousand cuts.” Little by little organizations of all types are being broken into and having intellectual property and other information stolen.

Targeted cyber intrusions are occurring daily at a very staggering level. Industries in the United States are heavily targeted but this truly is a global problem that is facing nearly every nation. These are not your run of the mill cyber attacks. They may have varying levels of sophistication, however, the attacks are often much more advanced than what most users have and will likely ever see. The next closest thing, perhaps on a parallel playing field, is those that are stealing vast amounts of money from banking systems that require two-factor authentication and/or dual approvers to transact. In these cases the attacks often start off extremely broad and are narrowed down

http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php/Calendar/20100119


Maybe its because people don't understand the problem, but cyberspace is where the war is currently being fought. These cyber attacks are doing far more damage (in monetary terms) than a terrorist could do with a bomb.

Countries are stealing billions from the banking industry and countries like China have stolen millions of classified or sensitive documents from the government.

eersandbeers wrote: In a recent CBS 60 Minutes segment Jim Lewis, a Director at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), described a major attack or “digital Pearl Harbor” that occurred in 2007 against the U.S. where massive amounts of data were stolen by foreign entities. These were neither the first attacks nor were they the last attacks against the U.S. would see. These attacks have continued daily and are leading to what Lewis has called “the death of a thousand cuts.” Little by little organizations of all types are being broken into and having intellectual property and other information stolen.

Targeted cyber intrusions are occurring daily at a very staggering level. Industries in the United States are heavily targeted but this truly is a global problem that is facing nearly every nation. These are not your run of the mill cyber attacks. They may have varying levels of sophistication, however, the attacks are often much more advanced than what most users have and will likely ever see. The next closest thing, perhaps on a parallel playing field, is those that are stealing vast amounts of money from banking systems that require two-factor authentication and/or dual approvers to transact. In these cases the attacks often start off extremely broad and are narrowed down

http://www.shadowserver.org/wiki/pmwiki.php/Calendar/20100119


Maybe its because people don't understand the problem, but cyberspace is where the war is currently being fought. These cyber attacks are doing far more damage (in monetary terms) than a terrorist could do with a bomb.

Countries are stealing billions from the banking industry and countries like China have stolen millions of classified or sensitive documents from the government.

Maybe more damage in financial terms, but terrorists with bombs take lives and that is more valuable than anything because it is not replaceable.

Money is just money. Data is just data. Secrets come and secrets go. All of it has value if we say it does.

But the cost a of a single human life....priceless.

It is a real threat, one that has led to a whole section in the QDR from the Pentagon. It was also the focus of testimony yesterday during the Senate Intel Committee.

Cyber security is a tough one as no system is 100% secure and the bad guys are always one step ahead. But, the DoD, NSA and NSC are moving to try and tackle the problem. It will be interesting to see what happens with the new NSA led Cyber Center.

But, I'd still say the actual threat of bombs are just a tick above the cyber threats on the priority list.

dwccrew wrote:
Maybe more damage in financial terms, but terrorists with bombs take lives and that is more valuable than anything because it is not replaceable.

From our human point of view that may be true.

The government looks at things in terms of financial terms. Speaking from strictly an economics point of view, each human life has a monetary value in society.

ptown_trojans_1 wrote: It is a real threat, one that has led to a whole section in the QDR from the Pentagon. It was also the focus of testimony yesterday during the Senate Intel Committee.

Cyber security is a tough one as no system is 100% secure and the bad guys are always one step ahead. But, the DoD, NSA and NSC are moving to try and tackle the problem. It will be interesting to see what happens with the new NSA led Cyber Center.

But, I'd still say the actual threat of bombs are just a tick above the cyber threats on the priority list.

Many people would put bombs above cyber threats simply because they don't understand the magnitude of the cyber threat. There is literally billions lost every single year from these cyber attacks. Not to mention the billions they cause our government to spend securing our networks and bringing them back after an attack.

It would say it is the main threat. Cyber security is tough because the government is creating more government agencies who have no clue what they are doing. This war will not be won by the small few in the government who actually know what they are doing.

The government needs to utilize the private sector as that is where the developments and advancements are coming from.

eersandbeers wrote:

dwccrew wrote:
Maybe more damage in financial terms, but terrorists with bombs take lives and that is more valuable than anything because it is not replaceable.

From our human point of view that may be true.

The government looks at things in terms of financial terms. Speaking from strictly an economics point of view, each human life has a monetary value in society.

If that's how you meant it, then I get what you were saying.