The world’s future battlegrounds will be in cyberspace warns Mark Mason, CEO of smartphone app developer Mubaloo, and the British media seem to be treating the threat as a big joke.
Everybody is aware of the potential catastrophe if an enemy power could hack into military control systems and redirect warships or jet fighters but what about our domestic security? I have heard several high-profile BBC commentators fail to deal with this very real threat seriously.
Cyber terrorists could, in theory, infiltrate internet servers that operate power stations, water firms, banks and air traffic control systems to name just a few. The mayhem that would follow an overnight failure in our service infrastructure would be unbelievable.
Iain Lobban, the director of Britain’s top-secret GCHQ surveillance centre, revealed last week that more than 20,000 malicious emails targeting government computers were indentified at Cheltenham each month.
Mr Lobban is quite right to speak out and raise the issue of cyber war. Many people have expresses surprise at the amount of money announced in the Strategic Defence Review for cyber defence but what concerns me is the security of business and domestic internet systems that the country is becoming more and more reliant upon.
British security officials have warned in the past that they believe Al-Qaeda is actively seeking the technology they would require to launch a ‘clickskrieg’ attack on the City of London. Terrorist would regard bringing international trading to a standstill a huge victory.
Britain is becoming more reliant upon its growing information economy. More government and business activity takes place on the internet every year and it is time to coordinate the security of our systems,” said Mr Mason. “I am asking for a concerted effort from private companies, internet providers and the government.
By Mark Mason
CEO
Mubaloo
www.mubaloo.com