Cybersecurity Four Threats
As we become more and more dependent on computers and smartphones, Cybersecurity is emerging as a major concern. I’m Jim Metzner and this is the Pulse of the Planet. According to Cyberdefense expert Charles Clancy, there are four kinds of threats we face online.
Clancy: One area is Cyber-crime and this is principally organized crime but in the cyber world. They want to get viruses and malware on your computer so that they can steal your information to ultimately steal money.
The second major category is that of Hacktivism where you’ve got activists who are hacking with the goal of advancing some sort of political or social agenda. The most visible component there is the hacking group Anonymous, who takes on various causes, whether it be political or social, with the goal of exposing hypocrisy.
The third area is that of Cyber-espionage. This is very much like traditional cloak and dagger espionage, where you’ve got spies, recruiting assets and trying to gain information about other countries and governments, only it’s happening in cyberspace. The most notable case in this area most recently is that of Edward Snowden and his role in revealing secrets about the National Security Agency.
The fourth major area of Cybersecurity is that of Cyber-warfare. This is where countries are actually going to war in cyberspace. For example, when Russia invaded Georgia in 2008, they launched a cyber attack against much of the internet infrastructure in Georgia, just prior to Russian troops crossing the border. The United States in particular views any future major combat would have a significant cyber component that would involve disruption of the military communication systems that would be used as a part of coordinating any sort of combat.
We’ll hear more on Cybersecurity in future programs. Pulse of the Planet is made possible in part by Virginia Tech, inventing the future through a hands-on approach to education and research.