Comments on: Cyber Weapons and e-Bombs

By: Nied

Nied — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 02:16:59 +0000

“I forgot to mention the final point about back-up data centers. The real issue is the electronics that switch and reroute data from one data center to another are destroyed. So rerouting takes several hours to accomplish.“
And how likely is it that a terrorist organization is going to be able to take out enough switching centers to have much of an effect? Once the data gets out of the facility there’s quite a few switches to re-route through if one or more go down. One of these EMP bombs effect at most a few city blocks, so you’d need tens of devices spread throughout the country. You’re talking about an operation that would make 9/11 look like organizing a little league game in terms of coordination, for far less spectacular results.
“Three clients are building new data centers and the equipment costs exceed $83 million so your statement about costs of protection exceeding the costs of the equipment does no hold up.“
However backup data centers are also useful in case of fire, natural disaster, and more pedestrian “blow stuff up” terrorism. Building a Faraday Cage around your data center really only protects against one thing.
“It appears you think there will be a huge explosion by a van sized TEDs attack which properly constructed is not the case. The amount of conventional explosives used in these devices is small. Just enough to propel the armature through the excited field at very high speed!“
Actually I thought that was a knock against it. Which is scarier to you? Someone setting off some kind of device which momentarily interrupts the flow of the economy? Or someone setting off a huge explosion which kills scores of people and momentarily interrupts the flow of the economy. remember the operative word in terrorism is terror. Some company losing their primary data center just doesn’t strike fear into the hearts of the populous like body bags getting carted out of rubble, and the later is a lot easier to accomplish than the former.

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 17:41:23 +0000

> Retrofitting is expensive but new builds are not that much more expensive.
On that I can fully agree. In a new build or remodel then the case can be made that the measures will also increase the value of the property and the NPV of the project.

By: DoubleTapper

DoubleTapper — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 16:50:10 +0000

Why not just send out a Trojan virus that only kills computers that use Arabic as the default language?
DoubleTapper
DoubleTapper@gmail.com
DoubleTapper, blogging on Guns Politics Defense from Israel

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 15:47:56 +0000

COUNTER MEASURES.
1. Distance from the facility — Keep parking back away form the building specifically any vans or trucks.
2. Shielding — Shield the external walls and properly ground them and provide isolation of the utilities so that the pulse can not travel inside.
3. Data Center Protection — Many new data centers are being built underground. This provides multiple security benefits including protection from EMP.
Feel free to ask questions

By: Klatou

Klatou — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 14:05:05 +0000

This is why I wrap my head in aluminum foil every morning :-)

By: Kevin

Kevin — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 00:37:19 +0000

OK just to be open minded based upon response to my previous post I will ask a question, especially “My First Post Ever”.
I saw a threat that could be a viable threat described in this blog post. What I did not see was a recommendation or an attempt to describe viable controls to mitigate this threat. Tell me, “My First Post Ever” or anyone else, how do you mitigate this threat with a normal enterprise client beyond using the same measures currently being taken in the DR/BCP to mitigate the threat of the loss of the data center?

By: Dumass

Dumass — Sun, 16 Mar 2008 21:04:53 +0000

TEDs and EPFCs… You mean “Turtle Exclusion Devices” & “Elvis Presley Fan Clubs”?? What do they havec to do with cyberterrorism?
More seriously, if making an EMP weapon is so easy, cheap, and the plans are readily available on web sites don’t you think folks would have used them by now?

By: DHS

DHS — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 16:12:11 +0000

I have read everything on this BLOG and found it to be credible, relevant and timely. Why, because it is my job. I do not understand why Mr. Coleman tolerates the childish behavior many of you show on here — it is beyond me! I would not! While I do not know Mr. Coleman, I know of his work in this area and he is highly regarded as a top authority not just in the US but in Europe. Many of you should stop the foolishness and try to learn something. Try to make positively contributions

By: stephen russell

stephen russell — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 14:34:13 +0000

Maximize our defenses Here alone.
Must do.
This is a Real threat.
& have some EMP bomb ruin our IT IS systems,
were down.
FIX the System.

By: SpyGuy

SpyGuy — Sat, 15 Mar 2008 02:05:28 +0000

Don’t be so narrow minded. Anything that disrupts or damages our information infrastructure falls under the cyber warfare heading. Just like the 5 telecommunications/internet under sea cables that were cut in one week (two of them were cut in multiple places). We all need to up our security capabilities because of everything that has been posted on this blog.