In the 2008 Annual Threat Assessment of the Intelligence Community for the Senate Armed Services Committee for the first time the threat of cyber attacks were addressed (well, the first time in the report available to the public). [EDITOR: The threat assessment was delivered by Director of National Intelligence Mike McConnell and Defense Intelligence Agency chief, Army Lt. Gen. Michael Maples, in testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee Feb. 27]
The intelligence community listed “the vulnerabilities of the US information infrastructure to increasing cyber attacks by foreign governments, non-state actors and criminal elements” as the fourth major bullet of the fourth page in the opening of the forty-five page testimony delivered to the Senate by DNI McConnell. The testimony goes on to state that due to the significance of computers and telecommunications to our country’s security, defense and economy, threats to our IT infrastructure are an important focus of the Intelligence Community.
Also stated were the trends seen over the past year, which included cyber exploitation activities that grew more sophisticated, more targeted and more serious. Finally, McConnell stated that the Intelligence Community expects these trends to continue in the coming year. Most concerning was the following statement excerpted from the report.
“We assess that nations, including Russia and China, have the technical capabilities to target and disrupt elements of the US information infrastructure and for intelligence collection. Nation states and criminals target our government and private sector information networks to gain competitive advantage in the commercial sector.” The report went on to state that terrorist groups, including al-Qaeda, HAMAS, and Hezbollah have expressed the desire to use cyber means to target the United States.
Criminal elements continue to show growing sophistication in technical capability and targeting, and today operate a pervasive, mature online service economy in illicit cyber capabilities and services available to anyone willing to pay.
The information contained in the testimony represents the cumulative views of highly skilled professionals working on this critical issue. All the warning signs are there.
The intelligence community has confirmed our fears. The “Cyber Arms Race” has begun.
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Well correct me if I am wrong, but, isn’t this what you have been saying since you started this blog? I for one appreciate the insight you have provided. This threat needs to be addressed now. I can’t even think of how we would operate for one day without the Internet let alone the economic impact a cyber attack would cause!
Kevin, did you write DNI’s report or did they cut and paste it form the blog :-)
Where have they Been?
Hello.
This dates pre Live Free & Die Hard.
& other movies.
” Our information infrastructure …increasingly is being targeted for exploitation and potentially for disruption or destruction by a growing array of state and non-state adversaries.”
-Director of National Intelligence Michael McConnell
The U.S. Director of National Intelligence in his testimony before the Congressional Armed Services Committee disclosed that approximately 20 terabytes of data was stolen by cyber attacks last year. Some of this data was from the Department of Defense.
Gentlemen or ladies ; I’m aware that making robots to save lives , firefighting , etc ,,I firmly think they will somehow turn against us, in time. I’m no genius but I see how things WE build always break
down. Our intentions may be great but…….
Anyway Thank You for allowing my opinion .
73′s