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system to affect millions of people at a time. Affected systems could be of financial nature,
classified information databases, utilities, and air travel-related security systems. It is easy to
imagine how devastating would be a hacking attack to a missile ballistic defense system.

Terrorism through the Internet is a war unlike any other; the use of cyber technology against
systems to disable communications, install malicious code, infect with malware, damage or
place out of service for a period of time can be carried out at any time an in way that leave few
traces and are hard to track.

The mediatic appeal of such attacks not only increases cyber fear in users but also creates a
perfect sounding board for terrorists looking for maximum exposure. However, have threats
been exaggerated? How safe are national infrastructures? What kind of damage would it take to
qualify as cyberterrorism? Nevertheless, the threat posed by cyberterrorism has grabbed the
attention of politicians, security experts, and the public.

With cyberspace constantly evolving so is our expectation of security of digitized information
that is stored, shared, and communicated online over computer networks. The way attackers
have exploited end users’ systems to cause damage or disruption even in organizations known
to be employing maximum security (government agencies, Apple, Microsoft, etc.) shows that
much needs to be done still to secure our digital systems.

What makes things harder is the knowledge that secure systems can actually be easily
compromised by a single careless end user, a disgruntled employee, through the exploitation of
a basic security loophole or the simple failure of following basic security procedures. It’s that
easy.

Today’s cyber-security landscape

Cybersecurity experts say the road to establishing a truly safe Internet in unclear. Fears over
the potential threat of cyberterrorism is increasing and leading to what is described as a “cyber
world war,” a new global arms race against international countries that engage in any cyber
threat acts and attacks. International relations are already becoming more active in both cyber
offense and defense.

The implications of cybersecurity go well beyond cyberspace; it influences everything from
cybercrime to unimaginable threats and attacks that affect our online freedom to engage in
instant messaging, obtain specific web content, send and receive data. IT experts say that
people do care about keeping their computer systems secure, but behave otherwise and
continue to ignore web security warnings and proceed anyway online without considering safe
security techniques in order to minimize the number of successful cyber security attacks.
Humans are considered to be the weakest link in any security chain.

29 Cyber Warnings E-Magazine – December 2014 Edition
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