DoD and Cyber-Terrorism

Eric Fritch
CPSC 620
 What is cyber-terrorism?
• "The premeditated, politically motivated attack
against information, computer systems, computer
programs, and data which result in violence against
noncombatant targets by sub-national groups or
clandestine agents". -FBI

• "The use of computer network tools to shut down

critical national infrastructure (such as energy,
transportation, government operations) or to
coerce or intimidate a government or civilian
population". -Center for Strategic/Int’l Studies
 Types
• Denial of Service
• Distributed Denial of Service
• Exploit Tools
• Logic Bombs
• Phishing
• Sniffer
• Trojan Horse
• Virus
• Vishing
• War Driving
• Worm
• Zero-Day Exploit
 The cyber threat
• As our nations critical infrastructure becomes more
reliant on computer networks in order to operate,
there is an increased concern that these are
desired targets.
Examples
Electric Power System
Water Supply System
Air Traffic Control Systems
Healthcare Systems
 Why cyber threats?
• Cyber terrorist prefer using the cyber attack
methods because of many advantages for it.
It is Cheaper than traditional methods.
• The action is very Difficult to be tracked.
• There are no physical barriers or check points to
cross.
• They can hide their personalities and location.
• They can use this method to attack a big number of
targets.
• They can do it remotely from anywhere in the world.
• They can affect a large number of people.
Cyber-terrorism Examples
• Started about mid1990s around the time of the internet
boom.
• 1997: Web site set up for Zapatistas, a Mexican rebel
group, to lead attacks against U.S. military from 1,500
locations in 50 different countries.
• 1999: NATO computers are blasted with e-mail bombs
and hit with denial-of-service attacks by hacktivists
protesting the bombings in Kosovo.
• 2000: Assassins hack into a hospital computer to change
the medication of a patient so that he would be given a
lethal injection. He was dead within a few hours.
 Who Defends Us?
• U.S. Strategic Command - Responsibilities for
information operations (such as information
warfare), missile defense, intelligence, surveillance,
and reconnaissance, and combating weapons of
mass destruction.

• U.S. Cyber Command – Responsible for protecting

DoD information networks and the cyberspace
infrastructure as well as supporting weapons system
platforms from disruptions, intrusions and attacks.
 Expanding the Cyber
Fight
• Thousands of qualified people will be needed over
the next couple of years.
• In addition to the Cyber Command, the following
organizations are seeking qualified personnel.
• NSA, Cyber Crime Center, AF.
• Incident handling; malware/vulnerability analysis;
cyber risk and strategic analysis; cyber vulnerability
detection and assessment; intelligence analysis;
cyber incident response and network and system
engineering.
 President’s Plan
• The presidents administration has declared use of
the DoD’s cyber warfare capabilities on vital U.S.
networks, not just DoD networks.
• The system would act almost identical to how FEMA
would operate in a time of a natural disaster such
as a hurricane flood.
• The Department of Homeland Security will also assist
in the process.
Questions?
 References
• Kathryn Stephens. Cyber-related Government Jobs.
2 Aug. 2010. 25 Nov. 2010 <www.nsci-va.org>.
• GAO. Types Of Cyber Attacks. 5 May. 2010. 26 Nov.
2010 <www.securingourcity.org>.
• Matson Breakey. Cyber-Terrorism: Its Origins and
Impacts. 7 Mar, 2006. 26 Nov. 2010
<www.americanchronicle.com>.
• Dr. Mudawi Mukhtar Elmusharaf. Cyber Terrorism :
The new kind of Terrorism. 4 Apr. 2004. 25 Nov.
2010 <www.crime-research.org>.