Security News > 2002 > April > Terrorism 101 With Eric Shaw

http://www.computerworld.com/cwi/story/0,1199,NAV47_STO69867,00.html By DAN VERTON April 08, 2002 Eric Shaw, a former CIA profiler and clinical psychologist who now consults for Stroz & Associates LLC, a cybersecurity firm in New York, takes Computerworld's Dan Verton inside the minds of terrorists. There's been a lot of speculation, even before Sept. 11, about the nation's vulnerability to an "electronic Pearl Harbor," or cyberterrorist attacks. But there has been little evidence that terrorists value cyberattacks. What has changed since Sept. 11? Shaw: There's still little evidence that traditional terrorist groups place a high priority on cyberattacks vs. using information technology for communication, command and control, and propaganda. Guns, bombs and vehicles [such as] trucks, planes and boats for delivery appear to be quite adequate for their needs, as the Sept. 11 attacks showed. I am worried that a new operational standard has been set up for imitation. I think we are going to see more attacks on relatively unprotected civilian sites and on individuals. The same trend may occur in this country as terrorists turn away from heavily fortified government facilities to less protected corporate sites. Are there any exceptions to the lack of terrorist interest in cyberattacks? Shaw: Yes. First, there are several types of nontraditional, politically motivated groups that cannot at present be considered terrorists that have utilized low-level cyberassaults, especially denial-of-service attacks. These groups often are referred to as members of antiglobalization, hacker, anarchist and other coalitions, often associated with our political left. They have actively organized and recruited individuals and groups for cyberattacks against their identified adversaries. Second, I am concerned about online or face-to-face recruitment of disgruntled IT specialists. For example, there were rumors earlier this year that an al-Qaeda affiliate had placed moles into Microsoft who had introduced Trojans into Windows XP. Though denied by the company, think of the potential impact. The IT field is one of the most international and ethnically diverse in this country, and its members . . . may represent a very attractive recruitment pool for terrorist organizations. - ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org To unsubscribe email majordomo () attrition org with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY of the mail.

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