The Threat of Digital Mercenaries

[Oldguy]

C/Net identifies these 5 companies as the greatest corporate threats to the internet in 2013 because of their apparent willingness to sell their services to authoritarian regimes.

What intrigues me is the capabilities they have, even in the hands of legitimate authorities. Warrantless wiretapping suddenly seems so archaic and old skool.


Meet the 'Corporate Enemies of the Internet' for 2013 | Politics and Law - CNET News

 

[editec]

The inevitable marriage of terrorists and hackers is going to be the plague of this century.

Think about what it means when a 15 year old can hack into some of the most sensitive networks in the world, and then imagine what happens when one of them decides to go on a killing spree just for the heck of it.

 

[Oldguy]

The inevitable marriage of terrorists and hackers is going to be the plague of this century.

Think about what it means when a 15 year old can hack into some of the most sensitive networks in the world, and then imagine what happens when one of them decides to go on a killing spree just for the heck of it.

Not just terrorist and hackers, but organized crime and hackers too. Or, foreign intelligence agents as well.

For instance, that article notes that one of those companies has the power to turn your computer cameras and microphones on and off at will, presumably without your knowledge. They could be on right now. What doors to blackmail does that open for users of on-line pornography, especially ministers and politicians? What opportunities lie in being able to read encrypted emails or images?

The Obama administration is pushing for much greater abilities in the field of cyber-security and that's probably going to be money well spent, given what we see here.

 

[editec]

The inevitable marriage of terrorists and hackers is going to be the plague of this century.

Think about what it means when a 15 year old can hack into some of the most sensitive networks in the world, and then imagine what happens when one of them decides to go on a killing spree just for the heck of it.

Not just terrorist and hackers, but organized crime and hackers too. Or, foreign intelligence agents as well.

For instance, that article notes that one of those companies has the power to turn your computer cameras and microphones on and off at will, presumably without your knowledge. They could be on right now. What doors to blackmail does that open for users of on-line pornography, especially ministers and politicians? What opportunities lie in being able to read encrypted emails or images?

The Obama administration is pushing for much greater abilities in the field of cyber-security and that's probably going to be money well spent, given what we see here.

Oh yeah, definitely those, too.

But let me give you an example of the kind of thing I am talking about.

They are planning on building a 22,000,000 gallon LNG holding facility in the port in my town.

But the control systems of that tank and pumping station and cooling facility will be monitored not on site here in Maine, but from Colorado.

That means that hackers anywhere in the world can theoretically seize control over any aspect of that tank.

Now clearly this kind of problem is NOT limited to just my town.

I am MUCH more concerned about rogue nutcases with mad computer skills than I am of terrorists or rogue governments.

Presumably rogue government and terrorist organizations at least have ADULT SUPERVISION which means they understand the consequences of their actions.

This is not the case with a lot of hackers.

You know my chums on the left dearly love Anonymous.

They the shit out of me.

Most of the idiot savants with mad computer skills also fall somewhere on the apergers syndrome scale.

That is to say they lack the capacity (ranging from completely to merely a little) to understand empathy.

I find THAT very troubling.

 

[Oldguy]

The inevitable marriage of terrorists and hackers is going to be the plague of this century.

Think about what it means when a 15 year old can hack into some of the most sensitive networks in the world, and then imagine what happens when one of them decides to go on a killing spree just for the heck of it.

Not just terrorist and hackers, but organized crime and hackers too. Or, foreign intelligence agents as well.

For instance, that article notes that one of those companies has the power to turn your computer cameras and microphones on and off at will, presumably without your knowledge. They could be on right now. What doors to blackmail does that open for users of on-line pornography, especially ministers and politicians? What opportunities lie in being able to read encrypted emails or images?

The Obama administration is pushing for much greater abilities in the field of cyber-security and that's probably going to be money well spent, given what we see here.

Oh yeah, definitely those, too.

But let me give you an example of the kind of thing I am talking about.

They are planning on building a 22,000,000 gallon LNG holding facility in the port in my town.

But the control systems of that tank and pumping station and cooling facility will be monitored not on site here in Maine, but from Colorado.

That means that hackers anywhere in the world can theoretically seize control over any aspect of that tank.

Now clearly this kind of problem is NOT limited to just my town.

I am MUCH more concerned about rogue nutcases with mad computer skills than I am of terrorists or rogue governments.

Presumably rogue government and terrorist organizations at least have ADULT SUPERVISION which means they understand the consequences of their actions.

This is not the case with a lot of hackers.

You know my chums on the left dearly love Anonymous.

They the shit out of me.

Most of the idiot savants with mad computer skills also fall somewhere on the apergers syndrome scale.

That is to say they lack the capacity (ranging from completely to merely a little) to understand empathy.

I find THAT very troubling.

Yep. If a person was inclined to worry, the new modern world would give them plenty of things to worry about.

 

[editec]

Yep. If a person was inclined to worry, the new modern world would give them plenty of things to worry about.

Beware the Black Swan, mate.

 

[Oldguy]

Yep. If a person was inclined to worry, the new modern world would give them plenty of things to worry about.

Beware the Black Swan, mate.

And, the Matrix!