Cyberterrorism as a new form of terrorism
Date: October 15, 2003Source: Computer Crime Research Center
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... USA is a “number one target” for cyberterrorists because of its total computerization.
It is evident that the Internet becomes criminal: there are many web sites popularizing the criminal ideology; the Net services are used to exchange criminal experience and coordinate criminal activities.
The Internet was exploited to organize acts of terrorism in New York in September 2001. Then American intelligence services found in the Net dozens of Islamic web sites used by “Al-Kaeda” to transfer information and instruct its agents. According to analysts, the Koran quotations, senseless signs, phrases and expressions contained instructions for Islamic agents. Even the color of pictures and references made sense for initiated persons. Messages were also hidden at unlinked pages or in chats. Special analytical departments were engaged in deciphering messages and signs on Al-Kaeda web sites. According to them, after September 11, web site data traffic had some “splashes’ followed by attempts to assassinate.
Experts think that terrorists will hardly manage to commit such a crime once more. However, there is hardly a person who can say it for sure that terrorists will not find some hackers that are capable of developing programs to damage the whole US infrastructure.
Can hackers be referred to cyberterrorists, by the way? This question has no clear reply yet. Some countries consider them as computer hooligans, other ones that suffered a lot from their tricks – cyberterrorists. It is thought that hackers themselves will bring the society to a single opinion. Hackers and cyberterrorists have the same weapons and targets. They are inseparable. Early or late, every hacker can become a cyberterrorism or a tool of cyberterrorists. The arsenal of hackers and cyberterrorists includes:
- Various attacks that allow penetrating into a network or take control of it in an illegal way;
- Computer viruses including network worms that modify and destroy information or suspend the work of computer systems;
- Logical bombs – commands introduced into a program and launched under definite conditions, for example, after a definite period of time;
- “Trojan horses” that make it possible to carry out definite operations without user’s knowledge (there are some “Trojans” that send their masters through the Internet various data on an infected computer including passwords of registered users);
- Means of suppressing network information exchange.
There is no doubt that new detrimental means will appear because of a constant modification of cyberterrorists’ weapon depending on the reliability of computer network protecting systems: the better is the defense the more aggressive is the attack.
On May 1, 2000, the Internet was infected with the “I love you” virus that very quickly intervened into the work of governmental establishments, parliaments and corporations worldwide. The Pentagon and computer security private companies launched the antiviral program. The FBI and Philippine’s NBI detected and arrested a native hacker who infected the Internet by sending the “I love you” virus to e-mail addresses: spydersuper.net.ph and mailmesuper.net.ph. It destroyed 45 million computer networks worldwide including those in the Pentagon and British Parliament. “I love you” has become the most active computer virus ever existed. Experts warn that the virus can develop its destructive potential because it is capable of modifying itself.
According to the American Computer Economic Group, the “I love you” virus is the most serious act of terrorism ever fixed. It has caused a damage of $6.7 billion for first five days of its existence.
Unfortunately, the danger of virus cyberattacks keeps on increasing. In April 2002 the Klez worm again attacked the Internet and infected millions computers worldwide. As a result, the number of infected machines goes on growing in a rapid way while the epidemic scales and danger of this detrimental program put it among such viruses as “I love you”, “Code Red” and “Sircam” that caused colossal damages, their exact sum being to estimate.
September events (2001) exposed some problems connected with the protection of computer systems and once again showed the importance of information security technologies and danger of their underestimation. Many companies and organizations focused on data protecting technologies. The Federal Computer Incident Response Center (FedCIRC) created a RFP system that will routinely distribute software renovations and patches to all governmental organizations. The Pentagon intelligence service develops a system of revealing attacks on the US Defense Department. This system will allow military programmers to track hackers and collect evidences of their illegal activities. Most of large IT-companies (for example, IBM, Internet Security Systems and so on) offer their clients (often free of charge) technologies and means to protect and restore an attacked information infrastructure in an effective way.
As to the problem of cyberterrorism, it can be concluded with confidence that the cyberterrorism threat enters our reality. The technical progress develops so quickly that the society can only realize its negative consequences when considerable efforts are required to correct the situation.
The problem of cyberterrorism in Ukraine is of a dual character: on the one hand, the country cannot afford to equip its chemical plants and nuclear power stations with up-to-date means of e-control. On the other hand, the national information infrastructure becomes a strategic resource that requires constant attention.
Today the issue of fighting cyberterrorism should be put among the terrorism and organized crimes. It is necessary to carry out a comprehensive approach to solving this problem at the international level.
The effective anti-cyberterrorism cooperation with international law enforcement bodies requires simplifying the procedure of making adequate decisions that is complicated with the necessity to coordinate documents to be ratified. First, frame resolutions should be applied versus agreements. Second, questions of internal security ought to be submitted to the Europe Council and any decision has to be taken by a majority of votes.
Many juridical and technical problems emerge when the following conditions are lacking:
1. Legislative acts regulating criminal-procedural actions.
2. Experts in revealing and exposing information and telecommunication crimes.
3. Necessary technical means of suppressing cyberattacks.
4. Reliable system of interaction between local and foreign law enforcement bodies.
Solving these top priority issues at the international level will make it possible for law enforcement agencies worldwide to direct their coordinated efforts at fighting cyberterrorism.
1. V. Golubev Cyberterrorism as a new form of terrorism. – http:// www.crime-research.org/library/Gol_tem3.htm. 10.04.02.
2. V. Gavlovsky, V. Tsimbalyuk Cyberterrorism as a factor of Ukraine’s national information policy. - http:// www.crime-research.org/library/Gavlovsk.htm. 23.03.02.
3. V. Golubev Computer crime investigation / Monograph. – Zaporozhye: Humanitarian University “ZIGMU”, 2002. – P.46.
4. Computer crimes as a national security threat http://www.crime-research.org/news/2003/07/1402.html. 14.08.03.
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