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'End of the world as we know it': Kaspersky warns of cyber-terror apocalypse
RT.com ^ | June 6, 2012 | Sergey Guneev

Posted on 06/08/2012 9:46:07 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim

After his eponymously-named lab discovered Flame, "the most sophisticated cyber weapon yet unleashed," Eugene Kaspersky believes that the evolving threat of “cyber terrorism” could spell the end of life on Earth as we know it.

­Doomsday scenarios are a common occurrence in 2012, but coming from a steely-eyed realist like Eugene Kaspersky, his calls for a global effort to halt emerging cyber threats should raise alarm bells.

A global Internet blackout and crippling attacks against key infrastructure are among two possible cyber-pandemics he outlined.

"It's not cyber war, it's cyber terrorism, and I'm afraid the game is just beginning. Very soon, many countries around the world will know it beyond a shadow of a doubt,” Kaspersky told reporters at a Tel Aviv University cyber security conference.

“I'm afraid it will be the end of the world as we know it," he warned. "I'm scared, believe me."

(Excerpt) Read more at rt.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Crime/Corruption; Culture/Society; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: cyberwarfare; emergencyprep; prep; terrorism; thecomingdarkness
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One more reason to "be prepared"...

I forwarded this story to a close friend of mine... a fellow who helped build much of the infra-structure of the internet... (back in the day)... he is, truly, a computer genius who is now retired, fabulously wealthy, hikes for months at a time and writes Iphone apps, for fun. His reply scared me more than the article.... I will post it in the next reply.

1 posted on 06/08/2012 9:46:18 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim
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To: SomeCallMeTim

Scary. Okay folks what is the “be prepared” list!


2 posted on 06/08/2012 9:50:58 AM PDT by GoCards (I am a Hobbit)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

Bookmark.


3 posted on 06/08/2012 9:52:01 AM PDT by The Cajun (Sarah Palin, Mark Levin......Nuff said.)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

um... are you seriously going to leave us hanging like that?????????????????


4 posted on 06/08/2012 9:55:39 AM PDT by Mr. K (I AM WRITING-IN PALIN/GINGRICH)
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To: sneakers

Bump


5 posted on 06/08/2012 9:55:39 AM PDT by sneakers (Go Sheriff Joe!)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

bookmark ...


6 posted on 06/08/2012 9:55:39 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: SomeCallMeTim
As for the cyber threat, I'm sorry to report that I do track that stuff closely and the threat is very real -- the hackers are way way ahead and populace just doesn't seem to be able to understand the nature of the threat and how they personally play into it. I've been trying to explain this stuff since the mid 80s (when we were fighting our first hackers) but there just seems to be no way to get it through to the vast majority and that goes even for most software engineers. I've had to force engineers look at traces of hacker activity coming at their own code before they saw the light .. and it is like a light going on in their heads when they finally come to imagine all programming and network transactions as adversarial.

And so the various big players quietly go along exploring, cataloging, mapping, planting, testing, ... building the arsenal. So take my app. As far as we've been able to determine, there are no Chinese nationals hiking the ___ this year. Yet, with each release of the code a significant number of the downloads and freaking app updates(!) are coming from China. So I guess the thing is getting picked apart to see if it generates a vulnerability into iPhones that someday the right person in the right place (for them) might have installed so that they can take advantage of it. Now I've gone to pains to make sure there is no such exposure but WTF!?! ..

Unfortunately, at this point there is very little you can personally do other than protect yourself from the small time hackers through conventional means and to keep in mind that it's not you, personally, the big guys are after -- they are after the information and systems that you and your machines have access to. And by information I mean everything from org charts to chemical processing details to what the names and interests of your children are. And keep in mind that it's not humans directly doing this (except on rare occasions) but is robotic software just exploring, logging, cataloging, and correlating with human guides. Also keep in mind that they are particularly mapping out social and organizational relationships so that when the communication saying to do X or provide Y is received by you (or apparently sent by you) that it is believed and acted upon.

One of the primary things people misunderstand when they imagine this stuff is to put things in terms of humans trying to break into their accounts and computers when instead it is automatons with infinite patience, persistence, and cataloging capabilities.

So this is the actual world we live in today. For awhile I thought about officially entering this arena on the defense side but I decided that these positions tend to be soul sucking and generally unappreciated. The interesting work is being done by youngsters with doctorates. And so, for now, I just work hard attempting to not add to the mess by being very careful with my own development work. And, occasionally, I let out rants like this and stay clear of facebook .. ;-)

7 posted on 06/08/2012 9:55:58 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: Mr. K
:-) Sorry, Mrs. K. Before I posted it, I wanted to make sure I wasn't giving away too much personal information. I think, my friend would be OK with me sharing this...

I think.. preparing for a failed power grid is probably the way to think about planning.

8 posted on 06/08/2012 9:58:35 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: SomeCallMeTim
Eugene Kaspersky believes that the evolving threat of “cyber terrorism” could spell the end of life on Earth as we know it.

Oh please. First of all, humans did quite nicely before electronic technology came along.

Second, humans do not represent all life on Earth. Human civilization will be affected, surely.


9 posted on 06/08/2012 9:58:35 AM PDT by Bloody Sam Roberts (My dog, yes. My wife, maybe. My gun....NEVER!)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

That’s a world view absent of the knowledge of the historicity of a resurrected Christ, in whom ALL THINGS are under His authority.


10 posted on 06/08/2012 10:02:34 AM PDT by Salvavida (The restoration of the U.S.A. starts with filling the pews at every Bible-believing church.)
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To: SomeCallMeTim
Photobucket
11 posted on 06/08/2012 10:04:51 AM PDT by BobinIL
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To: SomeCallMeTim

Have noticed (as of lately) have to call the children to see if an email was actually sent from them. Have received one (recently) had to delete (did not open). Was not from one of the children.


12 posted on 06/08/2012 10:06:54 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

“I’m afraid it will be the end of the world as we know it,” he warned, and then added, “but I feel fine.”


13 posted on 06/08/2012 10:11:37 AM PDT by Lazamataz (People who resort to Godwin's Law are just like Hitler.)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

Go out on your deck and read a book.


14 posted on 06/08/2012 10:12:41 AM PDT by coon2000 (Give me Liberty or give me death!)
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To: SomeCallMeTim

What was his reply?


15 posted on 06/08/2012 10:12:58 AM PDT by proud American in Canada
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To: SomeCallMeTim

16 posted on 06/08/2012 10:14:03 AM PDT by Lancey Howard
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To: SomeCallMeTim
Look, here's the deal.

I know you track this stuff, but I am here to tell you, my code is 100% bulletproof against any and all hackers.

17 posted on 06/08/2012 10:15:12 AM PDT by Lazamataz (People who resort to Godwin's Law are just like Hitler.)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Eugene Kaspersky believes that the evolving threat of “cyber terrorism” could spell the end of life on Earth as we know it.

LOL! Well, those are HIS words, not mine... I would agree that it is hyperbole, except for the qualifier.. "as we know it". Certainly, things could be made MUCH different than what we know now.

Seriously... I think the power grid is very vunerable. Just losing power, broadly, in the US would be a first rate disaster.

18 posted on 06/08/2012 10:16:57 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: Bloody Sam Roberts
Eugene Kaspersky believes that the evolving threat of “cyber terrorism” could spell the end of life on Earth as we know it.

LOL! Well, those are HIS words, not mine... I would agree that it is hyperbole, except for the qualifier.. "as we know it". Certainly, things could be made MUCH different than what we know now.

Seriously... I think the power grid is very vunerable. Just losing power, broadly, in the US would be a first rate disaster.

19 posted on 06/08/2012 10:17:12 AM PDT by SomeCallMeTim ( The best minds are not in government. If any were, business would hire them)
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To: Lazamataz
ah Laz, nothing is 100% is it? Remembering 911 and all those 100%ers saying it could not happen here. Remember?
20 posted on 06/08/2012 10:20:04 AM PDT by no-to-illegals (Please God, Protect and Bless Our Men and Women in Uniform with Victory. Amen.)
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