Is Cyber a new warfare? Debate (catch all)

[AdamG]

This ought to be interesting -

WASHINGTON — The International Monetary Fund, still struggling to find a new leader after the arrest of its managing director last month in New York, was hit recently by what computer experts describe as a large and sophisticated cyberattack whose dimensions are still unknown.

The fund, which manages financial crises around the world and is the repository of highly confidential information about the fiscal condition of many nations, told its staff and its board of directors about the attack on Wednesday. But it did not make a public announcement.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/12/world/12imf.html?_r=1

[Armchairguy]

It seems unlikely with the technology I am aware of that combat will come about as a result of a cyber attack. It is just too easy to cover your tracks. For some time I expect serious attention will be payed to making tracing of attackers a surer thing. Until that time good old fashion spy work and a lot of our own hacking will be the way to find perpetrators and barring that leaving tasty little poison pills around to go after the perpetrators information and infrastructure seems likely. The only problem with that is that the bad guys eventually have your poison pill codes and can use it against you on less defended portions of your information structure. We need computers and networks designed from the ground up with security in mind and independent networks that are not connected to the internet for critical infrastructure.

Perhaps there is already technology that can catch the perpetrators of cyber warfare with their hand in the cookie jar. The fact that we are considering this an act of war may suggest it already exists.

[AdamG]

Did I make Dr. Evil finger-quotey motions when I said "interesting"?

Hackers who broke into the International Monetary Fund's computer system may have been backed by a nation state, according to security experts.

They point to the sophisticated nature of the attack and the resources needed to develop it.

Malicious software, designed to steal confidential files, was installed on at least one IMF computer.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-13748488

[AdamG]

Derp.

US officials said they have ordered a security review after hackers managed to break into the Senate website at the weekend.

An official said the incident had been "inconvenient", but had not compromised the security of the staff.

The confirmation came after Lulz Security, a loosely aligned group of hackers, said it had carried out the attack for fun and posted files online.

Lulz has previously targeted Sony, Nintendo and Fox News.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13758361

[AdamG]

If there is widespread Chinese hacking of sensitive U.S. networks and critical infrastructure, what has the administration said about it to the Chinese government? Specifically, did President Obama raise concerns about these attacks with Chinese President Hu Jintao at the White House this spring?

Since defensive measures such as antivirus software and firewalls appear unable to stop the Chinese penetrations, does the administration have any plan to address these cyberattacks?

In private, U.S. officials admit that the government has no strategy to stop the Chinese cyberassault. Rather than defending American companies, the Pentagon seems focused on "active defense," by which it means offense. That cyberoffense might be employed if China were ever to launch a massive cyberwar on the U.S. But in the daily guerrilla cyberwar with China, our government is engaged in defending only its own networks. It is failing in its responsibility to protect the rest of America from Chinese cyberattack.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB1000...googlenews_wsj