From today's AFA Daily Report:
Ghost in the Smart Phone: Noted cybersecurity analyst and author Winn Schwartau warned the audience at AFA's CyberFutures Conference last week that the proliferation of personal hand-held computing devices and use of 4G networks is making it that much easier for the bad guys to access networks and information systems. From iPads to Android smart phones, there will be four billion networked computing devices in the world by 2014, and 20 billion by 2020, he said. There are more than half a million applications for these personal computing devices, yet there is no code review process for them and estimates show that more than 20 percent of the "apps" are infected with malware, said Schwartau. He called iPhone applications the "greatest hostile software-delivery system created by man" and said, "Your infrastructure has already been 'pwned,' to use a hacker term." (The term means "getting owned" in the sense of suffering a humiliating defeat.) Schwartau asserted during his March 31 speech that a "perfect storm" of vulnerability is emerging with the advance of computing technology.
I'm glad the editors told us what "pawn3d" means... except they misspelled it. But the larger point is well-taken. The Daily Report has been shot through with cyber-related articles ever since the referenced conference ended last week and the threat to the nation in this area is significant. It's as if that tired old cliché about generals always being prepared to fight the last war doesn't apply here, given the military is paying serious attention to cyber threats. Still, one gets the feeling the country as a whole (by that I mean industry and gub'mint at ALL levels) is woefully unprepared to face threats to our infrastructure, both physical (such as the utility grids) and virtual (like the banking system). Just google "cyber threats" if ya need something else to worry about.
Ge thanks Buck. That was a ray of sunshine for an already gloomy day!
ReplyDeleteI followed your link and looked at a couple of the articles. I'm adding this to my worry list. Jeez, what are we getting ourselves into?
ReplyDeleteI try really, really hard not to think about this. We've become waaaay too reliant on technology.
ReplyDeleteSo, like Deb said, thanks for the migraine. =)
Head in the sand/whistling past the graveyard/asleep at the switch (both literally and figuratively)--you name it. The civilian business world is so INCREDIBLY short-sighted and naive that it's almost criminal. And we've just casually sleep-walked with NO THOUGHT OR PLANNING WHATSOEVER into basing our ENTIRE PHYSICAL EXISTENCE on this crap as if everything will ALWAYS be "normal-normal." TRULY incredible...
ReplyDeleteDan: It's some pretty serious stuff, and a scary situation.
ReplyDeleteMoogie: Agreed on the "way too reliant" bits. We are SO vulnerable in this space.
Virgil: The financial side of the house has always been pretty security conscious for obvious reasons, but there are some serious holes there, too. Like sabotage. But your larger point is well-taken; I have some hope that people are generally waking up... I just hope it ain't too late.