Friday
Oct022009
Security Expert Warns That Hackers Could Destroy U.S. Money Supply
Friday, October 2, 2009 at 5:26PM
by Julianne LaJeunesse- University of New Mexico
The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. held a conference Friday calling for more public and private participation to stop internet "hackers."
At the conference, former U.S. director of the National Intelligence organization Mike McConnell said that internet hacking isn't a laughing matter, that instead, hacking could have a global effect.
"I'm not worried about someone, some hacker, turning off your refrigerator and spoiling tomorrow night's dinner," McConnell said. "I'm worried about some terrorist group that has the capability to attack the U.S. money supply."
McConnell said "destroying data, not stealing data" could have worldwide effects because it could contaminate the country's accounting system.
McConnell and other experts said public support through increased firewall use and knowledge about hacking could help decrease the number of "hack jobs" in the country.
James Lewis, director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, added that hacking includes spying. He said in the United States, like it or not, spying is a part of people's everyday internet use.
Lewis noted that current proposed legislation aims to provide more internet protections, but said as of now, spying and a weak U.S. defense toward hacking are "a big problem."
Controls such as Sen. John Rockefeller's (D-W.V.) proposed cyber security bill S.773 has drawn some support for its safety measures, but many people believe the potential of decreased internet access as granted by the President is a step too far.
The International Spy Museum in Washington, D.C. held a conference Friday calling for more public and private participation to stop internet "hackers."
At the conference, former U.S. director of the National Intelligence organization Mike McConnell said that internet hacking isn't a laughing matter, that instead, hacking could have a global effect.
"I'm not worried about someone, some hacker, turning off your refrigerator and spoiling tomorrow night's dinner," McConnell said. "I'm worried about some terrorist group that has the capability to attack the U.S. money supply."
McConnell said "destroying data, not stealing data" could have worldwide effects because it could contaminate the country's accounting system.
McConnell and other experts said public support through increased firewall use and knowledge about hacking could help decrease the number of "hack jobs" in the country.
James Lewis, director of the Technology and Public Policy Program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, added that hacking includes spying. He said in the United States, like it or not, spying is a part of people's everyday internet use.
Lewis noted that current proposed legislation aims to provide more internet protections, but said as of now, spying and a weak U.S. defense toward hacking are "a big problem."
Controls such as Sen. John Rockefeller's (D-W.V.) proposed cyber security bill S.773 has drawn some support for its safety measures, but many people believe the potential of decreased internet access as granted by the President is a step too far.
Reader Comments (7)
I cannot trust BO as he has proved himself to be a liar. He promised transparency and all we got was vapor bills and midnight sessions.
Worried about hackers destroying the money supply?? I'm worried about the private Federal Reserve continued destruction of the money supply. Watch for the US to start blaming its citizens in anyway possible to have us hand over more power to them....if they get us good and scared the average joe will do whatever they say
@District of Criminals
Couldn't have said it better myself.
While District of Criminals has pretty much covered it all, I would like to add that articles like this serve no other purpose than to make people panic about nothing. Don't let yourself get carried away by stuff like this.
Imagine throwing a fox in a hen house. Then going out to proclaim all the dangers of letting foxes into the Hen House, while at the front door, a conveyor belt is guiding all the chickens into a large meat grinder.
You've got to be kidding me. The only thing capable of destroying the US Dollar is not hackers. It's 435 idiots in DC who won't stop spending and borrowing against our great-grandchildren, and an unapproachable Federal Reserve who continue printing money out of thin air.
You guys have said it all and quite well! I have nothing to add except, who do guys like McDonnell think they their fooling? What an asinine statement! How do you go home and face your wife, or yourself in the mirror? How?
Whose house of cards has the most to lose in this light of day? For those who know what I know, this bill makes total sense. Kinda like Nazi mass murderers trying to hide their past deeds and future plans from the people. The German Nazis didn't have the internet, but they did have books. The fascists of today are one in the same. The internet is the single most powerful weapon to defend ourselves with.
If Mao, Stalin, Pol Pot, Hitler, amongst others, had the internet in their time, what would they have done with it? Destroying it, is too obvious. To CONTROL it, in the name of national security is an easy sell to the ignorant masses. Give it a name like CYBER SECURITY. Who can be against that? The saxon game is slow. But that is why it seems to work. Little by little, liberty will fail, if people stay ignorant in apathy. If you fail to wake up, you will love your new home. If you wake up at all, you'll realize that you've lost everything, except freedom.