Threat Perceptions

According to a survey of 600 IT security executives from critical infrastructure enterprises worldwide, more than half (54%) have already suffered large scale attacks or stealthy infiltrations from organized crime gangs, terrorists or nation-states. No doubt, to check this malpractice, legislation is made time and again but the vulnerability of their IT sector has increased over the years. It would not be wrong to say world IT industry is growing among fear and mistrust.

One example of cyberterrorists at work was when terrorists in Romania illegally gained access to the computers controlling the life support systems at an Antarctic research station, endangering the precious lives of 58 scientists. However, the culprits were stopped before damage actually occurred. In October 2007, the website of Ukrainian president Viktor Yushchenko was attacked by hackers. A radical Russian nationalist youth group, the Eurasian Youth Movement, claimed responsibility. In 1999 hackers attacked NATO computers and they flooded the computers with email and hit them with a denial of service (DoS). The hackers were protesting against the NATO bombings in Kosovo. Businesses, public organizations and academic institutions were bombarded with highly politicized emails containing virulent viruses.

Is the cyber world in safe hand? Find the answer here and here.