Combating Cyberterrorism: A Comprehensive Guide

Understanding the Threat of Cyberterrorism

Cyberterrorism, whether direct or indirect, is a significant threat to businesses of all sizes. It is crucial to have backup plans in place, and for larger companies, multiple layers of backup plans may be necessary. Political events often trigger a surge in cyber threats such as viruses, worms, and Trojan horses. For instance, the Nimda virus generated a hundred times the traffic in a single day that the Code Red virus took three days to produce.

According to a report by a group established by the federal government to counter cyberterrorism, a personal computer and a simple internet connection can cause significant harm. A well-placed command sent over a network to a power station's control computer could be as devastating as a backpack full of explosives, and the perpetrator would be harder to identify and apprehend.

Protecting Your Business: Identifying Critical Information

To safeguard your business in the event of a disaster, it is essential to identify the mission-critical information streams that need protection. This could include both print material and computer hardware and software.

Backing Up Your Data

Regularly scheduled backups can minimize the loss of valuable documents or data. It is crucial to keep off-site copies of backups to ensure quick recovery from disasters. Backups can be done using various media, such as floppy disks, zip disks, re-writeable CDs, and removable hard drives. The choice of media will depend on the volume of data being stored.

Larger companies may also consider installing mirror servers, which allow real-time information to be stored in different locations. Outsourcing applications to Application Service Providers (ASPs) with mirrored data centers should also be considered.

Critical paper documents should also be backed up using a scanner and stored off-site. The World Trade Center disaster scattered countless paper documents across New York, leaving many organizations unsure of what they had lost and how to recover missing files.

Anti-Virus Software

A robust anti-virus software is a vital tool in your counter-terrorism arsenal. It offers continuous protection and automatically scans all file inputs, outputs, downloads, program executions, and other system-related activities to prevent virus penetration. If a virus is discovered, you will have the option to clean or delete the infected file.

Firewalls and Detection Networks

Firewalls screen all communications to a system, including potentially harmful email messages. Firewalls can be a computer, router, or other communication device, or a network configuration. They define the services and access permitted to each user. One method is to screen user requests to check if they come from a previously defined domain or Internet Protocol (IP) address. Another method is to prohibit Telnet access into the system.

Key Measures to Protect Against Cyberterrorism

• All accounts should have unusual, difficult-to-guess, and alphanumeric passwords where possible.
• Change the network configuration when defects become known.
• Check with vendors for upgrades and patches.
• Audit systems and check logs to help detect and trace an intruder.
• Avoid accessing suspicious sites or emails from unknown addresses.

Tracing Software

Software companies create products designed to trace the origin of anyone connecting to your network, providing detailed information on the registered owner's name, address, etc. The greater the possibility of detection, the lower the incidence of crime.

Protection Suites

Protection suites combine a number of protection strategies. Click here for a suite of online services.

Today's commercial off-the-shelf software is riddled with vulnerabilities. Microsoft products, in particular, seem to be targeted. A recent Gartner Group report suggests that switching from Microsoft's Internet Server would be a positive step. Software makers should design more secure products, which should be shipped to consumers pre-configured with high security settings. Such efforts will probably mean higher costs and slower progress in the short term but will pay off in the long term.

There are no foolproof ways to protect a system, as a completely secure system can never be accessed by anyone. Your organization's classified information can be kept on machines with no outside (internet/intranet) connection, as a form of prevention of cyberterrorism. Ultimately, the responsibility of fighting cyberterrorism lies with each company or organization. The cost to protect your data will be a small fraction of what will be lost if your information systems are attacked or accidentally damaged.