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Submitted via IRC for SoyCow3196
A cyberattack could wreak destruction comparable to a nuclear weapon
People around the world may be worried about nuclear tensions rising, but I think they're missing the fact that a major cyberattack could be just as damaging—and hackers are already laying the groundwork.
With the U.S. and Russia pulling out of a key nuclear weapons pact—and beginning to develop new nuclear weapons—plus Iran tensions and North Korea again test-launching missiles, the global threat to civilization is high. Some fear a new nuclear arms race.
That threat is serious—but another could be as serious, and is less visible to the public. So far, most of the well-known hacking incidents, even those with foreign government backing, have done little more than steal data. Unfortunately, there are signs that hackers have placed malicious software inside U.S. power and water systems, where it's lying in wait, ready to be triggered. The U.S. military has also reportedly penetrated the computers that control Russian electrical systems.
As someone who studies cybersecurity and information warfare, I'm concerned that a cyberattack with widespread impact, an intrusion in one area that spreads to others or a combination of lots of smaller attacks, could cause significant damage, including mass injury and death rivaling the death toll of a nuclear weapon.
(Score: 2) by legont on Saturday August 24 2019, @03:07AM (1 child)
You seem to forget that the US is the country of the Law and laws nowadays are enforced. There is no way I will release a single dollar without proper rules executed such as electronic end of day report to the Federal Reserve because some psychopathic prosecutor might send me to prison for the rest of my days. In fact I will simply not show up to make sure I am not even near such unspeakable violations. One does not know what will or will not be enforced after the fact and the safest way is to enforce all of them even if people are dying around. That's how children are charged with "attack with a deadly missile" for throwing a peanut off a bridge.
Yes, we do have much bigger problem than the money or no money. It did not affected most so far, just a minority, but when a disaster strikes all bets will be off.
"Wealth is the relentless enemy of understanding" - John Kenneth Galbraith.
(Score: 1) by khallow on Saturday August 24 2019, @03:48AM
The US also forgets that a lot. This objection is absurd.
It won't be an unspeakable violation (that we are casually chatting about BTW, indicating it's quite speakable), because it won't be a violation in the first place.