Cyberwarfare

Cyberwarfare raises issues of growing national interest and concern.

Cyberwarfare can be used to describe various aspects of defending and attacking information and computer networks in cyberspace, as well as denying an adversary’s ability to do the same. Some major problems encountered with cyber attacks, in particular, are the difficulty in determining the origin and nature of the attack and in assessing the damage incurred.

A number of nations are incorporating cyberwarfare as a new part of their military doctrine. Some that have discussed the subject more openly include the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Russia, and China. Many of these are developing views toward the use of cyberwarfare that differ from those of the United States, and in some cases might represent national security threats.

Cyberterrorism is also an issue of growing national interest. Many believe terrorists plan to disrupt the Internet or critical infrastructures such as transportation, communications, or banking and finance. It does seem clear that terrorists use the Internet to conduct the business of terrorism, but on closer inspection, however, it is not clear how or whether terrorists could use violence through the Internet to achieve political objectives.

Although the U.S. government is striving to consolidate responsibility for and focus more attention on cyberwarfare issues, it is not clear how successful those efforts will be. Congress may choose to examine critically the policies, organization, and legal framework that guides executive ranch decisionmaking on issues of cyberwarfare.

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies

Electricity Grid in U.S. Penetrated By Spies (Updated)

Spies from China and have hacked into a U.S. power grid. Experts fear a future cyber scare. From the Wall Street Journal:

Cyberspies have penetrated the U.S. electrical grid and left behind software programs that could be used to disrupt the system, according to current and former national-security officials.

The spies came from China, and other countries, these officials said, and were believed to be on a mission to navigate the U.S. electrical system and its controls. The intruders haven’t sought to damage the power grid or other key infrastructure, but officials warned they could try during a crisis or war.

“The Chinese have attempted to map our infrastructure, such as the electrical grid,” said a senior intelligence official. “So have the Russians.”

The espionage appeared pervasive across the U.S. and doesn’t target a particular company or region, said a former Department of Homeland Security official. “There are intrusions, and they are growing,” the former official said, referring to electrical systems. “There were a lot last year.

This is not the first accusation of cyber-spying this year. From Telegraph:

The US government is however convinced China is endeavouring to overtake the US as the dominant force in cyberspace. Researchers at the University of Toronto recently revealed the presence of GhostNet, a global cyber-spy network run from China that has infiltrated 103 countries and infected dozens of computers every month.

The ten-month investigation by the Munk Centre for International Studies in Toronto started as an investigation into interference with computers on computers belonging to the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, and his supporters. It found that the Chinese had in many cases successfully searched computers, tapped into emails and turned on web cameras and microphones to record conversations within range.

Update: China has denied any role in the power grid hack. From Wall Street Journal:

“The intrusion doesn’t exist at all,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said at a regular press conference. “We hope that the concerned media will prudently deal with some groundless remarks, especially those concerning accusations against China.”

“I have also noticed that the U.S. White House had denied the media reports,” she said.

A report in the state-run China Daily cited Chinese experts who rejected the so-called “China threat” theory and tied it to the financial crisis.

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