US government 'hyping cyber-terrorism' -vnunet.com
 

That also mean Bin Laden wont hack your paypal account


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US government 'hyping cyber-terrorism'
By Iain Thomson at CeBIT in Hanover, Germany [14-03-2003]
Terrorists use bombs not computers, argues security expert


Security expert Bruce Schneier has delivered a stinging rebuke to the US government for spreading fears of cyber-terrorism.
Speaking at RSA Security's cyber-terrorism discussion panel at CeBIT, Schneier explained that although criminals were getting online in ever increasing numbers there was no evidence that terrorists were following them.

"I think the hype's coming from the US government," he said. "I don't believe terrorists will attack the infrastructure with computers, they'll use bombs.

"If I were a terrorist I wouldn't be looking at computers. If I can't get my email for a day I'm not terrorised, just annoyed."

Schneier pointed out that when the US and the UK attacked the Yugoslav government, which had a well-developed electronic network, they used bombs because they were far more effective than cyber-attacks at shutting down infrastructure.

Rainer Fahs, senior information security engineer for Nato air command and control, agreed that the US was responsible for hyping cyber-terrorism.

"Critical military systems do not run over the internet. Where there have been break-ins on a military target, it's on non-critical systems," he said.

"I think they had to do something after 11 September but this is not the way to do things."

The conference heard that criminal gangs are increasingly online, not just looking for banking and credit card details but for trade secrets and industrial processes.

Generally they do not using cutting-edge technology but are roughly two years behind the curve. Where necessary they buy in expertise from the Far East and eastern Europe.