Source: Tom's Guide US | Keywords: Terrorists, nuclear, attack, Internet, security | Themes: The Internet, Networking, Business
Terrorists could attack a nuclear nuclear via the Internet, thus triggering a response against an enemy nation.
A recent study conducted by the International Commission of Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament (ICNND) shows that terrorists groups could actually use the Internet to trigger a nuclear attack. The Guardian has summarized the findings in a recent article that points to inadequate security measurements within worldwide governments. Hints of a possible well-organized cyberwar reflect the recent DDoS attacks sustained by South Korean and U.S. government websites.
According to the ICNND's published paper, terrorists could break into computer systems and launch an attack on a nuclear state. In turn, the state would launch its nuclear arsenal on another nation, thus triggering a chain of events leading up to a possible global catastrophe. This method of attack might actually be easier for terrorists, as they aren't required to acquire nuclear weapons or build "dirty bombs."
"Despite claims that nuclear launch orders can only come from the highest authorities, numerous examples point towards an ability to sidestep the chain of command and insert orders at lower levels," said Jason Fritz, the author of the paper. "Cyber-terrorists could also provoke a nuclear launch by spoofing early warning and identification systems or by degrading communications networks."
The study said that despite the rising awareness of cyberwar threats from other nations, worldwide governments that are taking action to bolster their defenses still many not be prepared for rogue groups using unconventional methods during a cyber attack. The paper uses 9/11 as a comparison: using unconventional weapons in "an unprecedented attack."
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Wow...now if only you didn't tell everyone how to do it...we wouldn't have a problem. Sometimes the media (in general, not just picking on Tom's) can be just plain stupid.
"Terrorists could attack a nuclear nuclear via the Internet, thus triggering a response against an enemy nation."
GRAMMAR POLICE - FIX YOUR WORDZZZZZ
What's a "nuclear nuclear"? Is that some kind of super Nuke?
Shhh!!! don't spell it out! not saying it can't happen but we are in a more advance world for such thing to trigger a nuclear war.
good I want to grow a toe on my forehead
^ kidding
duck and cover!
Yeah, right.
I'm sure you can't just hack into a server and hit a bit red button that says NUKE on it. Nobody is that dumb... or are they?
I didnt know hackers and terrorists were also smart enough to get launch codes.
so wot freedoms do they want to take away from us now?
"Terrorists could attack a nuclear nuclear via the Internet, thus triggering a response against an enemy nation."GRAMMAR POLICE - FIX YOUR WORDZZZZZ
LOL
Great way of creating mass panic - and based on what? Parallels to a controversial issue. What better way to introduce even more punitive measures designed at controlling the majority? What better way to obtain those lucrative 'defence' contracts?
What better way to justify policy, at a time when ratings couldn't be any lower..
Wouldn't common sense suggest that if the 'system' is really this vulnerable to attack then wouldn't it have happened already? Wouldn't any nuclear defence system be isolated from the internet, for the bleedingly obvious reasons? I am of the opinion that these 'low-level' orders are either a pretext for a high-level directive aimed specifically at the general populace, or are so insignificant they could be rectified in the blink of an eye. I have reservations about this as much as I have reservations about the legitimacy of 'other' official stories.
It is a controversial subject and it is just my personal opinion. I'm not trying to offend anyone including the victims of 9/11 or their families..they were real. For me, the reasons behind that terrible incident aren't so clear. A system like the one in question would simply never be rigged up to the internet.
so wot freedoms do they want to take away from us now?
Let not forget about the additional funds needed (+taxes) for additional "protection".
I can see this happening with a less careless gov't
bringerofeternallulzandlulcoptasunr
Holy sh!t!! That's the longest name EVER!!!!!
Okay, really? WTF? Who would plug a missile warning system into the INTERNET?!?!?!
We really need to find these people and shoot them in the face. I bet it was one of the idiots that still doesn't know how go online without destroying a computer
I am thinking they mean social engineering / spoofing / impersonation kind of attack to get the commands "inserted to lower levels". They aren't doing something like a SQL injection attack on silo, because that stuff is not on the net.
Hey, we're getting Tron 2, why not War Games 2 since this is coming on the public radar?
Why are critical systems like power and nuclear sites on the internet anyways?
simple, UNPLUG THE SHIT FROM THE INTERNET. Fucktards. How the hell did they launch missiles in the 50's? sure as hell not the internet. I'm sure that f-ing aircraft carrier's radar machine needs to be connected directly to public networks. This is honestly a load of crap.
I am thinking they mean social engineering / spoofing / impersonation kind of attack to get the commands "inserted to lower levels". They aren't doing something like a SQL injection attack on silo, because that stuff is not on the net.Hey, we're getting Tron 2, why not War Games 2 since this is coming on the public radar?
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0865957/
already done, there you go.
Translation: US may nuke itself and blame it on terrorists abroad who hoard oil.
It's even more nuclear than nuclear, it's NUCLEAR² !!!
nachowarrior's got a point:
hahaha! I don't know, maybe the people responsible for nuclear launches want to work from home?
Attack a nuclear nuclear? Oh my god! Thats like twice the normal nuclear!
Need instant access to nuclear weapons all over the world? - there's an app for that
Translation: US may nuke itself and blame it on terrorists abroad who hoard oil.
Now why would the US even think of something like that?.....Terrorists do everything because the Govt would never do anything like that to further its own agenda. NEVER!...... /Sarcasm is now turned off
My god! Terrorists are launching nukes from the internet and the world is falling into chaos because the terrorists message read "lol we haz ur nuclear nuclear". Grammar this bad has not been seen since George Bush was president. Every effort has been made to bring these terrorists up to a grade 2 level of grammar.
Man, the quality around here sucks ass.
Now why would the US even think of something like that?.....Terrorists do everything because the Govt would never do anything like that to further its own agenda. NEVER!...... /Sarcasm is now turned off
OH GOD 24 HAS PUT SUCH CRAZY IDEAS IN MY HEAD
I thought this was another Apple 2-seconds hack thing.
For obvious reasons the networks for various nuclear capable countries would not be connected to the internet. Furthermore, inserting such a command "to sidestep the chain of command and insert orders at lower levels," would most likely prompt the guy at the button to maybe pick up the phone and confirm such things, I know I would in that position. One other thing, why would terrorists want to destroy the entire world? Even someone with skewed ideological motives would probably stop short of annihilating all life on earth.
The utter intellectual laziness and corruption of our government has overtaken the military, too.
I saw this beginning just before I left the fleet - the use of the internet to interconnect the different communication systems used by the services.
Instead of spending the billions necessary to create a secure separate system (and likely spurred on by the interference of Congress at every level) the services were already starting to rely on some parts of the internet to talk to each other.
The largest part of the problem here was that the Internet was built for the military in the first place (along with the GPS system) and Congressional maneuvers took it public at the end of the cold war and nothing was ever done to create another secure system.
Most actual control signals still go out on older communication systems but the net has taken up a whole bunch of the slack just because of its spread and bandwidth and the lack of money to replace it.
im with wild, this is propaghanda.
its meant to scare you, so they can take more of your rights.
its been ongoing.