Proof of global cyber danger hard to ignore
Many government intelligence agencies in countries around the world recognize the threats that cyberattacks pose to a country’s national security.
The growing threats posed by cyberattacks are not a secret. Many government intelligence agencies in countries around the world recognize the threats that cyberattacks pose to a country’s national security.
These attacks are known to have come from individuals, political and extremist groups, insurgent groups, criminals and criminal organizations, and terrorists and rogue nation states. Reacting to that threat, the global intelligence community has begun to collect and analyze cyber intelligence and include cyber in their annual threat estimates.
The Danish Defense Intelligence Service recently produced a report titled “Intelligence Risk Assessment 2012: An intelligence assessment of developments abroad affecting Denmark’s security.” The report can be summarized by the main conclusion, which is as follows:
“The threat posed by states, groups and private individuals in cyberspace generally constitutes a security risk for Denmark and the Danish Armed Forces, including troops deployed abroad. Foreign intelligence services, terrorist and insurgent groups as well as criminal organizations and groups are increasingly using the Internet to conduct espionage activities against Denmark or damage Danish websites and web servers.”
Recent cyberattacks have highlighted how individuals, political and extremist groups, insurgent groups, criminals and criminal organizations, terrorists and rogue nation states do not show much reluctance when it comes to using this nonviolent means of warfare. In addition, many military and intelligence organizations have articulated the priority that has been given to cyber warfare by some world powers. The organizations point to the Chinese military and caution about future cyberattacks and the growing complexity of such attacks.
Given all the government, military and intelligence organizations, as well as private sector businesses in the field of cyber security keep warning about this issue, why are there so many out their claiming this threat is overblown?