Introduction Cyberterrorism is a critical threat and is the most definitive characteristic of the U.S. contemporary security environment. For years, the American people have been victimized by cyber-attacks by having their personal information, emails, credit card, and banking information stolen by an invisible enemy named cyberterrorism. These types of attacks seem insignificant however; they are small examples of the vulnerabilities that our cyber world is experiencing. Our vulnerabilities are leaving our public officials in significant danger from cyber-attacks, as they are vulnerable to such things as the release of personal information and home addresses.
All over the world people have either owned or used a computer and every
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Today however, a new type of warfare has emerged and occurs when outside entities conduct an attack on a power grid, network, or both with the intent of causing damage. This type of warfare is called cyber warfare. In the United States computers control everything. It is no secret that hostile countries and terrorist organizations are cognizant and they know our economy, security, and infrastructure can be crippled by a successful cyber-attack. Examples of potential targets for cyber terrorists include military bases, water systems, banking facilities, air traffic control centers and power plants. Even the Commander in Chief, President Obama has stated the threat of a cyber war is real and we must prepare for it and increase our security measures. First, this paper will discuss cyberterrorism and cyber-attacks as they pose a direct threat to national security and the economy. Then, we will review cyber-attacks against the U.S. from China, Iran, and Russia along with the impact and possible ramifications from those attacks. Finally, this paper discusses U.S. strategies to minimize the impact of cyber-attacks.
Cyber-Attacks
China is responsible for cyber espionage against the U.S. resulting in significant damage to the U.S. economy. The Commission on the Theft of American Intellectual Property found that, China is responsible for up to 70% of incurred losses of the U.S. (Navarro 2016). The Center for Strategic and
Cyber security, also referred to as information technology security, focuses on protecting computers, networks, software programs and data from unintended or unauthorized access, change or destruction. Post 9/11 and other terrorist attacks, the United States grows its endeavors to repulse cyberattacks, U.S. corporate organizations and the government agencies wind up in strife over how to adjust to new methods of security and privacy. The current state of security measure protocols and privacy policies placed by the US government in cyberspace raises concerns for the 99%. This is due to the recent cyber-attacks on American corporate organization systems and government alike, where their digital information and network infrastructures within the systems were compromised, and personal data was hacked and stolen.
Following the US and Israeli Stuxnet attack on Iran’s Nuclear program in 2010, enemy states have been targeting some critical infrastructures and federal government agencies. As the US interest in securing its borders against all threats both domestic and abroad continue to grow, several new threats and vulnerabilities colossus in its cyberspace. In a recent report by Bhattacharyya (2016), “Russian hackers attacked the State Department email system and the Office of Personnel Management reported that 5.6 million Americans’ fingerprints were stolen as
One key issue in Homeland Security and Emergency Management is the threat to cyber security. Terrorism has evolved over the years to more sophisticated and planned out attacks. Some of the attacks are stopped before the plans are carried out thanks to our nations Homeland Security experts, but many attacks go unnoticed by the public and security professionals, this is because of the method of cyberterrorism. Cyberterrorism can be described as varied as stealing data and hacking, planning terrorist attack, causing violence, or attacking information systems (Foltz,2004). The act of cyberterrorism leaves many people and our nation vulnerable if the terrorist is successful at stealing critical
The Internet has changed and advanced modern society in unimaginable ways since its conception. Banks, transportation, entertainment, and even power and sewer systems are now controlled and operated through the Internet. This has allowed major improvements to society as a whole. Power is now delivered more reliably, many people can now access their banking information remotely from their phones, shopping can be done completely from the comforts of the home, as well as many other amazing things. All of these things are convenient and helpful, but have exposed American citizens and infrastructure to the new threat of cyber based attacks. These attacks can be directed at American institutions or to the general population. I believe that the threat
When it gets right down to it, in this technologically advanced world, one of the worst things that can happen to people nowadays is having a cyberattack successfully launched against them. In particular, these cyberattacks are especially catastrophic if the end result is nothing short of a data breach. For everyday citizens, they have to be careful not only because
As a nation, we face many problems because everyone has a different attitude towards certain things. Over the years, I have notice that no government is perfect. Every country has an area they lack in when it come to their citizens. This paper will examine three different theories when it pertains to the current political issues happening. The first component is the symbolic racism theory, which can be seen as being institutionalized when it comes to the part the government plays. The next concept being explored is the security dilemmas theory that will focus on the conflict between the militia group, ISIS, and the U.S. The last theory examination will concentrate on the cognitive dissonance about the current presidential campaign. Each theory
The United States houses more than 15 critical infrastructures, all of which implement information and communication technologies (ICT) systems, making the risk of a cyberwar a constant possibility. In order to
Protecting the citizens of the United States from all threats foreign and domestic is one of the primary responsibilities of the Federal Government. These threats include not only military and criminal activity but also the monetary system, as well as both manmade and natural disasters. We refer to this as our national security. Because of this, the Federal Government maintains the various branches of the military and multiple law enforcement angencies to ensure that protection. In this digital age, cyberattacks are an ever increasing threat to national security. These attacks not only target government agencies but also private contractors that do business with the federal government as well.
In this paper I will take an in depth look at the recent state sanctioned Chinese cyber-attacks against United States organizations and agencies. These attacks have had profound effects, ultimately altering structures and processes. Government officials are calling for millions of dollars in training and defense measures, while many are now becoming aware of a new type of threat. The inter-organizational relationships, external environment, and ecosystem have also been denaturised. I will also take a look at scholarly definitions of war and how they may be applied to the issue at hand. Finally, I will examine the United Nation’s doctrine and deem whether these attacks should be considered aggressive acts made by China, and what may
With the widespread use of technology becoming more prominent, acts of cyber terrorism pose an increased threat to safety. Cyber terrorists exploit the internet and its users to commit acts that can be increasingly detrimental to their targets. Some of the terrorist activities include large scale corruption of computer networks by using tools like computer viruses. Certain individuals even have the ability of creating severe damage to government systems, national security systems and even hospital servers. Most of the technology made today only has intentions of making life easier for people. However, skilled users can manipulate the cyber world for negative intentions. Staying informed when it comes to cyber terrorism and cybercrime is important to do because of the increased reliance on technology in society. Steps to improve cyber security before an attack ensures the safety of sensitive information. The topic of cyber security and cyber warfare are interesting topics to keep up to date with. Understanding these topics can be beneficial to my dream of being in the FBI, ensuring the safety of others by working to prevent acts of cyberterrorism.
homeland and U.S. vital interests from disruptive or destructive cyber attacks of significant consequence. (INSA 2011,17)
The biggest threat or challenge to the Homeland security is the cybersecurity. The attacks on the U.S. Internet infrastructure have intensified over the past few years. The country has not found an effective way to deal with the cyber threats that are currently facing government agencies and private organizations. The main threat is that the attacks cannot only affect software systems but also hardware systems.
Cyberterrorism, is an explosive and heavily volatile act that threatens the very fabric of networking operations of their intended target/s, and guess what, the United States “cyberspace” platform has provided a means of accessing our most secretive, sensitive, including, military tactical operations data. Successful attacks upon the US networking infrastructure would obviously impede governmental operation, more importantly; accessing a wealth of potentially destructive information would have profound implications, thus, Cybersecurity policies must be implemented. Cybersecurity policies create levels and barriers of networking security as their standards, guidelines, and response to potential threats, vulnerabilities, and
Whether it is Iran targeting American banks or casinos, China hacking into the federal government 's network, criminals attacking companies like Target, North Korea punishing Sony or Russia hacking President Obama’s email, cyber security is a major source of anxiety for the U.S. government and private sector. In a survey, 84% of global financial institutions ranked cyber-risk as one of their top five concerns.
The branches of the military, for a couple generations, have always been the Army, Navy, Air force, Marine Corps, and the Coast Guard; however, in an ever evolving digital world, the notion that outer space would be the next military front is being rapidly replaced by the idea that cyber space will be the next arms race. The United States has been defending attacks on their infrastructure day after day, night after night, when one hacker on one side of the world sleeps, another takes their place to attempt to compromise the US government. The motives may range from a political ‘hacktivist’ trying to prove a point, to an economic spy, trying to gain a competitive edge on its more upstart rivals, to an attempt to control the United States