NCJ Number
195652
Date Published
October 2001
Length
7 pages
Annotation
This article addresses the fact that as computer technology becomes faster and better, cyber protesting and hacktivism will become more important to United States interests as any site with an exploitable vulnerability will be susceptible to a cyber attack.
Abstract
It is anticipated that future cyber attacks could cause large economic losses and damage to the national infrastructure with serious international consequences upon global markets and public safety. It is noted that political activism on the Internet is commonplace and there have been short-term political cyber protests unrestrained by geographic boundaries, which are becoming easier and easier to organize via the Internet. Mail bombing, web page defacements, and DOS attacks have been used by nations waging cyber war with each other such as China against Taiwan, China against the United States, and Palestine against Israel. United States web sites have been attacked regardless of their lack of proximity or involvement in events causing the cyber protests. FloodNet software has been used for virtual sit-ins by bombing web sites with e-mail and crashing e-commerce sites. Hackers who gain root access to web sites have the deepest penetration and can potentially do whatever they wish. As the goal of cyber protestors and hacktivists appears to be more to intentionally create destruction, rather than public embarrassment or to make political statements, it is emphasized that proactive network defense and security management, along with international and public-private cooperation within the United States, are essential to protect infrastructure assets in the United States.