The weekend attacks on government computers in the United States and South Korea were disturbing. The attacks also raised several questions that neither country seems prepared to answer right now, at least in public.
The attacks apparently were carried out by North Korea or by hackers sympathetic to North Korea. If the attack did come from North Korea, it further complicates the problems the world is having with that rogue state.
Questions raised by the cyber attacks include:
• At what point does a cyber attack become an act of war? Successful attacks on computers can cause economic losses. It is possible that they could cause loss of life.
• Must the response to a cyber attack be in kind? North Korea, with its antiquated infrastructure and limited number of computer networks and Internet connections to the outside world, is less vulnerable to cyber attack than most countries.
• Are governments and businesses doing enough to defend themselves against attack? Computer use has grown so quickly and computer networks are so large that security requirements change every day as new computers go online and new software is installed. Every computer that is not adequately protected can become a base for launching an attack against other computers.
It is not likely that complete details of the weekend attacks will ever be made public. Neither is it likely that actions taken in response to the attacks will be publicized.
That is not important. What is important is that people know that the questions are being addressed and that the window of opportunity for such an attack, from North Korea or any other nation or group, is closing.
Patrick S. Kelley
Editorial Page Editor
madpoet (anonymous) says...
This is why Obama set up a cyber security taskforce right away. I'm sure THIS administration is aware of this danger. Bush was not exactly tech savvy, to my knowledge. I hope it's not too late.
July 9, 2009 at 3:58 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
I would hope that this cyber security task force is able to get to the bottom of this as soon as possible. As the world progresses in technology, our vulnerabilities become more complex as well.
July 9, 2009 at 4:06 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Only one post before we start blaming Bush. That's a record. It took atleast a few minutes before he was blamed for Katrina.
July 9, 2009 at 5:16 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
pizza (anonymous) says...
Obviously if THIS administration had been aware of the danger they would have done something BEFORE the attack. Doesn't take much intelligence to set up a committee after the fact.
July 9, 2009 at 10:22 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Yeah, but .................. look over there, Sarah Palin!
July 9, 2009 at 10:25 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
PocketKings (anonymous) says...
The stupidity of the person who connected each powerplant to the same line that public uses. Seriously couldnt someone have thought on keeping top secret things like that inaccessible to the public?
Power is what keeps us alive.
No power=no water for major citys.
July 10, 2009 at 3:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
under_score (anonymous) says...
Sneak Attack? These attacks from N. Korea and China have been a daily occurence for the last several years. They just happened to find something that worked this time. Just like with anti-terrorism, we have to be right all of the time, they have to be right only once to cause a major problem.
madpoet, Bush didn't have to be tech saavy and neither does Obama. As far as I know neither Obama or Bush are sitting at a console staring at firewall logs and making adjustments. Cyber Security is starting to get looked at a lot closer over the last couple of years and there are still a lot of holes. Setting up a Cyber Security task force is fine but if you don't think every government agency and company that cares about their data didn't already have one prior to Obama adding a new layer of beauracracy you are sadly mistaken.
PocketKings,
I'm not entirely certain what you are saying because it doesn't contain a lot of detail. But it appears that you don't have any idea what you are talking about. If by "line" you are talking about an internet connection then it will calm your fears to know that power companies do not have any equipment connected to the internet that can be hacked and controlled by terrorists like they did in Die Hard with a vengeance.
July 10, 2009 at 7:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
madpoet (anonymous) says...
By tech savvy I meant aware of how technology and the internet is integral in our society. Banks and utilities are vulnerable to disruption by cyber terrorists. The world wouldn't end if everyone's Blackberry was blocked but a lot of businesses would be affected who do business in cyberspace. Bush seemed rather oblivious to a lot of things that affect the average person.
July 10, 2009 at 8:16 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
under_score (anonymous) says...
And you seriously don't think that Bush was aware of that? I understand that a lot of people don't like Bush but let's get real.
Let's assume for the sake of argument that he was completely oblivious that the internet even existed. It still doesn't matter. I think the heads of the FBI, CIA, power companies, banks, and every other industry are well aware of the potential threat of Cyber attacks. That's why billions of dollars are spent every year to protect information.
But in your world, god forbid something happen to the president, because all of our intelligence agencies and businesses would be left exposed!
Believe me, the proper precautions have been taken by very skilled people prior to the current president to make our information infrastructure more secure. It is an ongoing effort and always will be.
July 10, 2009 at 8:28 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
paulkersey (anonymous) says...
I can't help but think that Skynet has become self-aware.
July 10, 2009 at 11:40 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
"I'll be back"
July 10, 2009 at 11:52 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Or was it "I'll be Bach?"
Cybernetic organisms and their crazy accents.
July 10, 2009 at 11:54 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
alfalfa (anonymous) says...
I am surprised Pat Kelley mentions "act of war". He surely doesn't believe war is necessary in the brave new world we live in.
July 11, 2009 at 8:04 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
As usual, Observation strikes out again:
http://www.slate.com/id/2204123/?from...
http://pcworld.about.com/od/securit1/...
http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/internet...
We'll see if it improves or not, I'm skeptical as I feel that cybersecurity is something not many truly understand, and do not take serious enough, in my opinion it will take a cyber attack of 9/11 proportions to snap people to the realization that this is something we are not prepared for, but again, by the time they do it will be too late.
July 14, 2009 at 11:11 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Good links/info, goodoleboy. Not sure how this made anyone "strike out again", since from what I've seen we've got some pretty biased umpires. Anyway, a few highlights from your links:
"In 2007, the Bush administration announced a National Cyber Security Initiative..........Estonia, which fell victim to a massive foreign cyber-attack in 2007, created a Cyber Defense Center in cooperation with other NATO countries and urged NATO and the U.N. to establish a doctrine that covers cyber-warfare...... A Pentagon report from 2007 concluded that while China doesn't have an official cyber-doctrine, it has declared its intent to achieve "electromagnetic dominance" over its opponents and has developed viruses to attack enemy computers."
"Several key federal cybersecurity initiatives launched during the Bush administration -- some in direct response to the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks -- are still years away. A few other initiatives are closer to completion but still don't do enough to protect federal networks and systems against increasingly sophisticated attacks from cybercriminals and nation states.......Fixing the situation will require the next administration to focus not just on completing the initiatives that are already under way.......Despite some of the challenges, progress has been made......there are several initiatives launched over the past few years that are already making, or will soon make a difference......The initiative, a response to the Sept. 11 attacks, will result in much better identification and authentication of all individuals with access to federal systems and buildings......Earlier this year, President Bush also put into motion a highly-classified, multibillion-dollar Cyber Initiative that is supposed to bolster the nation's ability to detect and respond to cyberthreats against critical infrastructure targets......much work remains to be done. "The existing administration has only just begun to pay attention to cybersecurity," as a national security issue, Kellerman said..........In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, almost all the responses were centered on physical security issues and on building business resiliency and disaster recoverability capabilities. Kellerman said that trend has exacerbated cybersecurity issues because there are now more targets to protect than previously......
Obama’s recommendations are fairly generic and fail to articulate how he will build upon the work done during the Bush Administration......."
"The National Cyber Security Division (NCSD) is a division of the Office of Cyber Security & Communications, within the United States Department of Homeland Security's Directorate for National Protection and Programs. NCSD opened in June 6, 2003 charged with improving the United States defense against Internet-based attacks.
Really? Bush did nothing? Gosh, I learn something new every day.......
July 14, 2009 at 12:27 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
Did nothing? Did I say that? No. Adequate job? No, but then again I don't Obama has done an adequate job either to this point so everyone can hate me.
The main problem is, that if the government's systems had been compromised there is a good chance we will never even know about due to the high level and sensitive nature or what is involved, ergo I have little faith in ANY administration to this juncture, it will take an event to bring this to light, and I hope I am wrong, but that day is coming.
July 14, 2009 at 12:35 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
Well, it was all bad when Bush did it.
July 14, 2009 at 12:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Nope, never said in one place where you said that, goodoleboy. I thanked you for the informative links, but that was a general comment at the end (based on what was in your links) towards some posters here who seem to express that sentiment. Sorry if you read it as being directed at you since I was referencing your links. But as you've said before, "feel free to decide where among that you fall" or something to that effect :)
Adequate job? As you say, who would ever know? After the fact? Too bad Gore (or Obama) didn't run/win in 2000..... 9/11 would have never happened......... I'm Positive..... :)
I just think it's preposterous to act as if Bush was totally oblivious to cyber-security and Obama came along with his Blackberry and woke everyone up from their stupor.
July 14, 2009 at 12:54 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
If Gore (or Obama) would have won in 2000 Pallets Plus would still be on South 99 .............. I'm positive?
July 14, 2009 at 1:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Yep. Because Gore Invented Steel, and he would have given it a much higher melting point, like Rosie O'Donnell does, and Palin still would have been on the roof looking at Russia because she didn't know Lyon County was part of Kansas..... :)
July 14, 2009 at 2:02 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
create (anonymous) says...
The entire problem of security, cyber or otherwise, can be summed up in one word -- complacency.
People get real comfortable with their lives and their routines. It takes a burglary down the street for people to start locking their doors.
Wasn't it just last week when a number of federal buildings were found to have "security" systems that were determined to be practically non-existent? Guards sleeping, babies being sent through x-ray machines among others.
July 14, 2009 at 3:12 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Aw shucks, House on C Street has been pulled, along with all the comments.......... darn......... what will I do for entertainment tonight now???????
July 14, 2009 at 5:33 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
seriouslyfolks (anonymous) says...
"It takes a burglary down the street for people to start locking their doors."
I'm against burglary.
July 14, 2009 at 5:37 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Great find, YY4U. Now we know where Pat gets his "facts".
"Sex Scandals, Moral Hypocrisy and the Far Right Agenda in Central America".
Great headline to start off the story. Then its apparent towards the bottom that the author is a huge fan of Chavez and Castro.
And the tenants there "talk about religion in their daily lives".
GASP!!!! We need a SWAT team busting thru the windows NOW!!!!!
After reading it, I think the main point the author was trying to make is that as long as you don't profess to be a Christian, you can and should be allowed to get away with pretty much anything and everything. Because if you take the opposite approach you should be inhumanly infallible. But if you don't then you don't have to be.
Or maybe I just read too much into it. Or not enough.
July 14, 2009 at 6:08 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
goodoleboy (anonymous) says...
"Adequate job? As you say, who would ever know? After the fact? Too bad Gore (or Obama) didn't run/win in 2000..... 9/11 would have never happened......... I'm Positive..... :)
I just think it's preposterous to act as if Bush was totally oblivious to cyber-security and Obama came along with his Blackberry and woke everyone up from their stupor."
To be fair I never claimed that Obama had done any better, in fact I said up to this point he had not done enough either. We can start to measure what Bush did in retrospect, with Obama the future is still in motion and even as Bill O'Rielly says " its impossible to judge an administration on six months." I don't really think its good humor to joke about 9/11 though, regardless of political views.
July 14, 2009 at 8:53 p.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
Well I guess I'll have to refine it even further, so as to not leave room for doubt in case we seem to be a little testy about it. My remark was in response to the sentiments expressed by some of the first few posters here, I am quite aware of the fact that you said Obama had done none better, etc, etc... goodoleboy.
And I don't joke about 9/11. It wasn't a joke. (Despite the fact that Wanda Sykes thinks joking about 9/11 is ok at a WH dinner) - I was making a point about "after the fact", but now that I go back and read the original post, I misunderstood the point pizza was making completely. That's what I get for trying to speed-read :)
And, even though obviously there is much room for good debate on the course we took after 9/11, I don't believe that "Criminal investigators and Law Enforcement Officers..........would have already routed them out and brought them to trial". Sorry, just don't see Bin Laden & company being turned over to "the proper authorities", and/or the FBI snooping around in northern Pakistan as realistic. I just can't picture Pakistan telling their military to stand down and just have a few policemen go into the frontier and arrest them........kindof reminds me of the guy that told me awhile back "all we needed to do to take out Saddam was send in an undercover special ops team to take him out"........... volunteers, anyone?....... :)
July 15, 2009 at 8:29 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
They yanked the whole kit and kaboodle, Observation. I still had the latest up on a browser, I thought about cut-and-pasting the whole thing (article + comments) into another thread, but decided not to. I'm sure it would have gotten removed there as well. First amendment & all, ya know.
July 15, 2009 at 8:33 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )
open_eyes (anonymous) says...
C Street article is back now.....
July 15, 2009 at 9:06 a.m. ( permalink | suggest removal )