Talk With an Expert

Can Cyberterrorists Actually Kill People?

Can Cyberterrorists Actually Kill People? (PDF, 1.70MB)Published: 30 Jan, 2002
Created by
Scott Newton

Corporate road warriors become an increasing threat as a point of unauthorized access to restricted networks. Crackers probe network defenses and attack undefended systems that have insecure perimeters. Chinese and American hackers hijack web-pages and use them to rattle digital sabres and spread nationalist propaganda. Hacktivists send email bombs that overwhelm servers at organizations they are protesting against. Script kiddies give orders to zombie computers deployed across the internet and order them to attack targets. Network administrators capture packet traffic so they can analyze it and gain intelligence on how to defend against the attack. And there is a debate as to whether those network admins should launch retaliatory strikes or other types of digital counterattacks. But instead of simply causing annoying service disruptions, catastrophic data loss, or even the fall of a technology-dependent society, could cyberterrorists and information warriors use computers to actually kill people directly?