Pakistan Creates Cyber Crime Wing
March 13, 2003
A Pakistani security agency has launched a special wing to combat cyber crimes in part because the country had to rely on U.S. investigators to trace e-mails sent by the kidnappers of American journalist Daniel Pearl a year ago. "The purpose of establishing the National Response Center for Cyber Crimes is to stop misuse of the Internet and trace those involved in cyber-related crimes," Iftikhar Ahmad, spokesman for Pakistan's Interior Ministry, told the Associated Press on Wednesday. Full Story
March 11, 2003
This is an interesting story. In the end, a combination of technology and hard cash lead to KSM's arrest. Note the part of the story that indicates that KSM used as many as 10 cell phones to communicate. The story.... The electronic surveillance network Echelon played a key role in the capture of the alleged September 11 mastermind, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, it was reported yesterday - as did a $27m (£18m) payment to an "al-Qaida foot soldier", who may be planning to relocate to Britain. Full Story
Shrieking in Cyberspace
March 7, 2003
Sometimes stories like this don't even make it onto my radar screen for over a year. This is an interesting an humorous article. Unfortunately, they reduce the level of credibility associated with those that would counter that cyberterorrism is not an issue by including comments from folks like Friedman. I haven't seen George Friedman out conducting technical vulnerability assessments of the critical infrastructures, yet he feels comfortable discrediting comments as storytelling. I'll agree a lot of the discussion regarding cyberterrorism is over-hyped and if you actually see me present, you'd understand that one of the first things I do is discredit what is written in the media about the topic. However, we need to find a balance…
Risk of cyber terrorism raised at seminar
March 7, 2003
A terrorism expert hosted by the Centre for Defence Studies believes cyber space could be the next target for terrorist organisations. Founding director and CEO of the Terrorist Research Centre at Burke, Virginia, Matthew Devost believes cyber terrorists, individuals and organisations using computers, the Internet and electronic communication devices for their activities, are likely to form the next major threat to security.
Bush’s Cyberstrategery: The administration’s war against a bogus threat.
March 4, 2003
That's the title of an editorial on Slate.com discussing cyberterrorism. It has been forwarded to me by several friends indicating that I should respond. I just don't have the bandwidth for a formal response and this angle has already been addressed in several of my articles including "Taking Cyberterrorism Seriously" by Neal Pollard and myself. Skepticism is healthy, but failing to account for legitimate emerging threats can also be dangerous. The slate article dwells on old stories and scenarios and fails to address the fact that our infrastructures are increasingly operated and controled by technology, that technology is inherently vulnerable and that creates a window of opportunity for someone or some entity with the right…
Europe warned of cyber terrorism if Iraq is attacked
March 1, 2003
An international cyber establishment has warned Europe of a possible attack of cyber terrorism in case war against Iraq breaks out. Such cyber terrorism and possible hacking of networks may put in jeopardy key European infrastructures such as water, electricity and transport, according to sources. Full Story
Indian Information Warfare Agency Established
February 28, 2003
In a bid to counter Pakistani propaganda as well as frame policies for cyber-wars, the armed forces have all plans to expand the ambit of Defence Intelligence Agency by setting up an information warfare agency under the tri-service Integrated Defence Staff headquarters. Designated as the Defence Information Warfare Agency (DIWA), it will provide the military's inputs to the National Information Board being set up under National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra. DIWA will handle all aspects of information warfare, including psychological operations, cyberwar, electro-magnetic spectrum and soundwaves. While efforts have been made by the three services separately, DIWA will be the nodal agency that will make policies for all the three services…
Windows XP Kills Dog, Steals Toaster
February 28, 2003
Tim Mullen has an excellent editorial at SecurityFocus.com discussing media hype associated with recent vulnerability disclosures. Worth the read. Full Story
Homeland Security Summit Keynote
February 23, 2003
I will be delivering a keynote address at the Homeland Security Summit on March 6, 2003. More details
This Gun For Hire
January 30, 2003
The suburbs of Washington, from Alexandria in the south to Dulles Airport in the west, make up the defense industry's fertile crescent. Within a short drive of the Pentagon, the CIA, and the rest of the national security state, one immaculate office park after another rises above the oleander, gleaming facades capped with muscular logos - Raytheon, TRW, Bechtel. It's the neighborhood of choice for the nation's military contractors. Full Story
Electronic attack slows Internet
January 25, 2003
Traffic on the many parts of the Internet slowed dramatically for hours early Saturday, the apparent effects of a fast-spreading, virus-like infection that overwhelmed the world's digital pipelines and interfered with Web browsing and delivery of e-mail. Sites monitoring the health of the Internet reported significant slowdowns globally. Experts said the electronic attack bore remarkable similarities to the "Code Red" virus during the summer of 2001 which also ground traffic to a halt on much of the Internet. Full Story
Total Misrepresentation (of Total Information Awareness)
January 21, 2003
"The chance that the U.S. government will become a police state because it is better able to analyze private transactions for signs of terrorism is virtually nil; the chance would be greater, however, if the country were to experience a series of devastating attacks and confidence in the government's ability to protect the public safety were to evaporate." Full Story
Terrorism: Threats, Tactics, Training and Technology
January 4, 2003
The latest TRC Training session will take place in Washington, DC. on January 8-10, 2003. "This class led by nationally recognized terrorism experts including Brian Michael Jenkins, Walter Purdy, Matthew Devost, Tom Walsh, Neal Pollard, Bryan Vossekuil, Dr. Robert Fein, John Sullivan, Andrew Garfield, and special guests, will have numerous opportunities for Q&A. Participants will learn first hand about the current threats from both domestic and international terrorists. Participants will examine threats and the weapons terrorist could use against targets and measures to deter, defeat and mitigate these attacks. Participants will hear about how terrorist train and the operational acts they need to conduct to successfully conduct their…
Georgetown COSC511
January 4, 2003
I've recently received an appointment as Adjunct Professor at Georgetown University to teach COSC511 "Information Warfare and Security". This class was previously taught by Dorothy Denning and I am honored to take it over. If you are a student looking for the COSC511 page, you can find it by following this link.
January 4, 2003
Clarke, a counterterrorism official in the Clinton administration, acknowledged that terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda havent turned the Internet into a weapon. But he cautioned against complacency. For years, he said, counterterrorism experts never thought terrorists would launch strikes such as the Sept. 11 attacks within the United States, because they wanted to use the country to make plans and raise funds without drawing the attention of law enforcement and intelligence officials. Full Story
The Technology Secrets of Cocaine Inc.
January 2, 2003
This story from Business 2.0 is interesting. When thinking innovation and technology, the drug cartels probably rank just behind Amazon.com. Colombian cartels have spent billions of dollars to build one of the world's most sophisticated IT infrastructures. It's helping them smuggle more dope than ever before. Full Story