Re: New York Red Cross Needs Tech assistance!

[InfoSec News <isn () c4i org>]

Forwarded from: Darren Reed <darrenr () reed wattle id au>

Forgive me for being insensitive, but will someone please explain what
the World Trade Centre disaster has to do with Information Security ?
I don't give a rats arse how much money Microsoft has given or how much
equipment Cisco has donated.

I think I've heard enough about it by now, as has the rest of the world,
I imagine.  I've observed my minute's silence for those who were unfortunate
to be caught up in this madness and heck I was standing on top of #2 just a
few weeks ago.  Lets move on, eh?

A more pertinent angle on this affair is do either the USA or terrorists
have any plans to make further moves which involve IT: hacking web sites,
launching huge DDoS attacks, HERF guns, attacking phone exchanges,or
large Internet telehousing/exchanges, etc.  If Bin Laden is a big user
of crypto then isn't he just as prone to an IT attack/failure being
disruptive as anyone in the USA?

Of all of these, the most intesting is HERF.  Why?  Well, if large
commercial site gets hit/targetted (lets say the NYSE) then does that
provide the non-government world with the pick to the lock around TEMPEST ?
Maybe the terrorist groups will use a nuke just to generate a large EMP
and wipe out a city that way.  Sure, it may be fiction in some movie or
book, but so was flying a large plane into an American state building
until last week...(yes, I read "Debt of Honor" some time ago, along with
"Executive Orders").

Hitting NYC, or just the down town area with a large EMP would have a
much more devastating effect, (if it was able to penetrate some of those
old stone bulidings) than killing thousands, on the NYSE, with most of
the big computer suppliers now running on lead times of "weeks" to prevent
inventory buildup.  Maybe those sort of weapons are too hard to build and
operate for Bin Laden, maybe he's never heard of them - lets hope he hasn't
or it's just too hard for him to make.

Anyway, this is more appropriate for a risks forum now than here...but
please, no more WTC stuff, eh, unless it has a direct relationship with
IT security ?

Darren



-
ISN is currently hosted by Attrition.org

To unsubscribe email majordomo () attrition org with 'unsubscribe isn' in the BODY
of the mail.