Major Cyber Attacks: Are We Prepared for Digital Combat?
By KeriLynn Engel, Who Is Hosting This, 12 December 2014.
By KeriLynn Engel, Who Is Hosting This, 12 December 2014.
The words “terrorist attack” usually bring to mind physical violence: events like bombings, kidnappings, hijackings and hosting-taking. The more violent they are, the more they stay in our memories; the deadliest attacks have also been the most widely-known. And the number of terrorist attacks like these has been rising around the world.
But although terrorist attacks have become more frequent in the past decade, the number of deaths has declined.
That may be because terrorists are finding a new way to fight their battles: online, through hacking. Instead of striking at physical targets, terrorists are beginning to use technology more and more to virtually strike at their targets.
Hackers are feared for going after our identities and our wallets. With their technological skills, they can steal credit card numbers, passwords, social security numbers, and more. By using that information they can steal your identity, a crime that’s been on the rise. Millions of consumers have experienced some kind of identity theft due to hacking.
But thieves aren’t the only ones who are out to steal our data: Hacking by terrorists is also on the rise.
These “cyberterrorists” use their hacking skills to not only steal data, but to perform large-scale disruption of entire computer networks, bringing down essential services. They are able to attack a country’s very infrastructure by threatening the computer networks of utilities, banks, and accessing classified information.
The FBI has warned that hackers are replacing terrorists as the top threat to the United States. Experts have warned that a major cyberterrorist attack, such as an attack on power, transport, or other critical systems, is only a matter of time.
And it’s not all just theoretical. Cyberterrorists have already attacked the CIA’s computers, as well as French, British, and Israeli defense agencies. Below are some of the top major attacks cyberterrorists have already pulled off. If all this has already happened, what does the future hold?
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please adhere to proper blog etiquette when posting your comments. This blog owner will exercise his absolution discretion in allowing or rejecting any comments that are deemed seditious, defamatory, libelous, racist, vulgar, insulting, and other remarks that exhibit similar characteristics. If you insist on using anonymous comments, please write your name or other IDs at the end of your message.