SteveTheGeek
MIS
Interesting article in today's Reg, describing testing of the "Digital Pearl Harbor" scenario you may have heard about from your friendly government Office of Homeland Security mouthpiece or security software vendor:
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So much for Digital Pearl Harbor FUD...
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petermeachem
Programmer
The trouble is, it's all a bit complicated isn't it. Just think of the disruption caused by mailing a couple of hundred thousand envelopes with a bit of white powder in. Put some anthrax in some of them to reduce complacency. All hell would break loose, it would be very easy to do and you wouldn't get caught. They never did find who released anthrax before did they?
Did you see the film about the smallpox epidemic recently? That was one person. Scariest thing I've seen for ages.
The moral is that in guerilla warfare, the simplest things work best.
I did read recently that a lot of this stuff the yare spouting about security is actually more about DRM and protecting Bush's buddies in Hollywood. Don't know enough about it myself to comment. Peter Meachem
peter @ accuflight.com
Did you see the film about the smallpox epidemic recently? That was one person. Scariest thing I've seen for ages.
The moral is that in guerilla warfare, the simplest things work best.
I did read recently that a lot of this stuff the yare spouting about security is actually more about DRM and protecting Bush's buddies in Hollywood. Don't know enough about it myself to comment. Peter Meachem
peter @ accuflight.com
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SteveTheGeek
MIS
I think you have it exactly right. Why go to all the trouble to attack something electronically, if you can create the same effect with "ordinary" explosives, or better yet with a little white powder?
As far as motives, I waver. On the one hand, government almost always tends toward "more control" (thus justifying it's existence) and they could just be trying to more tightly regulate the internet. On the other, they might honestly be concerned about the security of our electronic infrastructure, but somewhat badly misinformed as to vulnerabilities. On the *ahem* third hand, corporate America (and specifically the security/AV vendors) may have contributed enough to the right campaigns to induce this behavior. I can't decide which possibility depresses me the most. Also, my sense is that the Hollywood DRM campaign is more down Sen. Fritz Hollings' alley than Bush's, and in any case the music and film industries tend to buy... er, be... Democrats rather than Republicans.
-Steve
As far as motives, I waver. On the one hand, government almost always tends toward "more control" (thus justifying it's existence) and they could just be trying to more tightly regulate the internet. On the other, they might honestly be concerned about the security of our electronic infrastructure, but somewhat badly misinformed as to vulnerabilities. On the *ahem* third hand, corporate America (and specifically the security/AV vendors) may have contributed enough to the right campaigns to induce this behavior. I can't decide which possibility depresses me the most. Also, my sense is that the Hollywood DRM campaign is more down Sen. Fritz Hollings' alley than Bush's, and in any case the music and film industries tend to buy... er, be... Democrats rather than Republicans.
-Steve
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