Tuesday, January 1, 2008

War -- or Crime -- in Cyberspace

Austin Bay's take on global criminal/terrorist use of the internet.
FROM STRATEGYPAGE.COM:
War -- or Crime -- in Cyberspace
by Austin Bay
January 1, 2008
In the computer age -- and 2008 is definitely in the computer age -- the difference between an act of war and crime is often a matter of interpretation as well as degree.
Attack a nation's highways and railroads, and you've attacked transportation infrastructure. You've also committed an obvious, recognized act of war.
An electronic attack doesn't leave craters or bleeding human casualties, at least not in the same overt sense of an assault with artillery and bombs. However, the economic costs can be much larger than a classic barrage or bombing campaign.
Cyberspace has become a much busier and more dangerous place in the last 15 years. Today, entire nations rely on computer networks for communications, economic transfers and information storage. Computers and computer networks are lucrative targets for criminals. This increased economic and information reliance means that in the 21st century targeting a nation's electronic infrastructure is an act of war.
Bankers know this. So do intelligence agencies. Diplomats and political leaders must also come to grips with that reality.
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