Cyber Attacks Against America Infrastructure - Research Paper Example

STRATEGIC THREAT ASSESSMENT ON CYBER ATTACKS AGAINST AMERICA INFRASTRUCTURE SUMMARY Our world today has evolved so much that it could be unimaginable if we live without computers. With the invention of computers and the Internet, it is difficult to envision what would happen if a massive cyber attack aimed at the major countries’ cyber infrastructure and to the rest of the world. According to an article published by Digital Journal, pressing the F1 key will cause cyber attack. This threat will affect millions of users worldwide who log on to Windows. The threat is described as a one push button method that allows the hacker to install software and eventually control your computer. However, a warning was sent by Microsoft to Windows users to restrict the pressing of F1 key while surfing the Net (Chan, 2010). This kind of attack is a stealthy way to infiltrate networks and a strategic plan that expose the system to destruction. How could we survive today if cyber terrorists will cripple all mobile phones, telephone infrastructure, and electric grid? In this scenario, no organization in today’s world is immune to cyber attacks, whether they are government, non-government or business. It is not affordable to risk the security and stability of an organization’s financial and operating systems, or its intellectual property by being unaware or by a lack of initiative. Cyber terrorism attacks the following sectors: Hundreds and thousands of miles of coaxial and fiber optic cables and the computers they link together. The electrical power grid that runs the computers and industries, the water supply that feeds both the hydroelectric plants and the people who operate the computers, the entire transport system, telecommunication networks that provide global communication, and the financial system (e.g. banks, brokerages, insurance companies, and other financial institutions that fund these technologies) (Verton, 2003). With the sudden disruption of all these infrastructures, we could only survive for a short period. Everything will eventually stop because without electricity, there would be no telephone service. Without either, there would be no Internet and from there, our daily business thrives. Safeguarding computer systems, preserving confidential data, and making that data available when needed are vital to modern day economy. Information security is all about this. However, the more our systems are getting dependent on technology, the more they are vulnerable to cyber attacks. The government admits that the US cyber infrastructure is vulnerable to attacks. The truth is “it is struggling to keep pace with the growing number of attacks on its computer networks, potentially leaving infrastructure in America vulnerable to overseas hackers” (Gorman, 2009). Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, who runs the National Security Agency, said that it might be incorrect to say that networks are secured. He commented that they have vulnerabilities (Gorman, 2009). KEY FINDINGS Black Ice, Blue Cascade, and Cyber Shockwave awakened US preparedness Almost every sector of the economy from public utilities to manufacturing plants, chemical processing facilities, nuclear material processing operation, and railroad operation – is adopting wireless computer technologies at a rapid pace The faster these sectors deploy such systems without the proper security protections in place, the faster they are putting themselves and the public at risk (Verton, p.70 2003). The article Security Report Puts Blame on Microsoft on, government observers said that approximately 80 percent of successful intrusions into federal computer systems could attribute to faulty software, or software with poor quality (Krim, 2003). Today, terrorists do not need explosives or bombs that will threaten people when destroying a sector of the government or impair a power grid. Obviously, cyber terrorism is a weapon for mass destruction (Green, 2002). There have been numerous exercises conducted to test America’s infrastructures against cyber attacks. However, the results seem to come out the same in each exercise. Exercises such as Black Ice, Blue Cascade, and most recently the Cyber Shockwave have painted a disturbing picture on how vulnerable and unprepared America infrastructure is to cyber attacks. Cascading failures in the electric grid line, natural gas, water, telecommunication, transportation, and financial sector outline the numerous vulnerabilities that private sector and federal government continue to face. Black Ice was a scenario that described a major ice storm toppling Salt Lake City. The aftermath of the ice storm caused widespread damage to high-voltage bulk transmission lines, which lead to rolling black out throughout the state of Utah. The Black Ice exercise also demonstrated how interconnected the energy sector is with other sectors. In establishing an example, the water systems rely on electric power, as do the natural gas industry and telecommunication. The impact of massive power outbreak will affect other sectors resulting to widespread failure in the entire system. It is a ripple effect. Black Ice also illustrated the struggles and chaos that emergency responders faced during Internet outages, cell phone overload, and telephone failures – similar to what happened during the September 11, 2001. Furthermore, when it was all over, it demonstrated frightening details how the effects of a major terrorist attackcould significantly be worsened by a simultaneous cyber-attack against the computers that manage the region’s critical infrastructure (Verton, p. 18, 2003). Following Black Ice exercise 2000, another exercise in 2002, called Blue Cascades was conducted. The scenario of Blue Cascades uncovered many of the same problems and vulnerabilities that resulted during Black Ice (p, 21. 2003). The Blue Cascades come in three series. In a report on Blue Cascades III Exercise issued on March 6, 2006, The Pacific Northwest Economic Region (PNWER) designed a series of exercises to assess regional preparedness and response to common disasters. The Blue Cascades I in Oregon in 2002 focused on a terrorist attack on the electrical infrastructure. Then in 2004, Blue Cascades II in Seattle focused on preparedness and response to cyber infrastructure attack. The third exercise, Blue Cascades III focused on long-term disruptions of critical infrastructures and the possible loss of life and property brought about by the disaster and the effects of subsequent shocks of quakes and tsunamis (NA, 2006). The exercise also f ocused on linkages between infrastructures that could make the Pacific Northwest, including regions of Canada, vulnerable to cascading failures in the event of an attack that could complicate quick response and disaster recovery operations (Verton, 2003). The critical infrastructure studied in this exercise included energy (electric power, oil, and natural gas), telecommunication, transportation, water supply systems, banking and financial networks, emergency services, and governmental services (Verton, 2003). The results from Blue Cascades outlined how terrorist attacks or other physical disasters like cyber attacks could disrupt the region electric power for weeks and in some cases for months leading to region-wide power outages in most Western states. The report also envisioned follow-on disruptions to the region’s telecommunication and at least two natural gas distribution system as well as threats to a major municipal water system and the regions seaports (p. 22, 2003). The third exercise called Cyber Shockwave was done on February 20 and 21, 2010. This simulation exercise envisioned an attack that unfolds over a single day in July 2011. When the Cabinet convenes to face this crisis, 20 million of the nations smart phones have already stopped working. The attack, the result of a malware program that installed in phones months earlier through a popular “March Madness” basketball bracket application, disrupts mobile service for millions. The attack escalates, shutting down an electronic energy trading platform and crippling the power grid on the Eastern seaboard. In this test, Cybershock Wave once again proved that United States is unprepared cyber attacks. Therefore, the three exercises demonstrated how vulnerable our critical infrastructures are to cyber attacks (p.70, 2003). Cyber attacks are considered as a serious threat to the America infrastructure. While reading media reports, one frequently meets with the most vulnerable cyber attacks, which could annihilate the computer systems of even the biggest companies of the world. Referring to a northern Virginia security firm, The Washington Post reports, “More than 75,000 computer systems at nearly 2,500 companies in the United States and around the world have been hacked in what appears to be one of the largest and most sophisticated attacks by cyber criminals discovered to date” (Nakashima, 2010). This report clearly indicates the depth of the threats that the cyber attacks cause in the modern world. THREATS, HARMS, AND VULNERABILITIES ON DIFFERENT SECTORS Energy Sector Every form of energy whether it is mechanical, solar, or nuclear allows us to do our daily tasks in life. Energy is important in our homes, and most houses have gas, oil or electric heaters. Our vehicles need gas in order to run. The reasons for using energy are endless. Nevertheless, with the threat of cyber terrorism on the energy sector, our lives are in danger. According to a study conducted by Hart-Rudman task force in 2002, it found that several key pumping stations are not manned and unsecured. This vulnerability could cause massive disruption of oil flow. The multi-million dollar budget for compressor stations is at stake if the attack happens. Further, the disruption could result to multi-state blackouts due to power failure in some key points. The attack known as “Aurora” Vulnerability could impair the delivery of electricity across North America by destroying the generating equipment and could result to a more than just a brief blackout. The cyber attack cause by a hacker could create an ill effect on the economy, health care system and even our national defense assets (Subcommittee on Energy and Air Quality Hearing, “Protecting the Grid from Cyber Security Threats,” 2008). On another report of the National Terror Alert Response Center revealed that hackers could infiltrate some types of meters in the smart grid communication systems. Given sufficient equipment and knowledge in software engineering, plus background in electronics, a hacker could take control of the meter infrastructure that could affect every home and business. Similarly, the Wall Street Journal published an article on April 7, 2009 about Chinese and Russian Cyber spies that hacked the US electric grid. In this report, Chinese and Russian cyber spies attempted to map the US electrical system and worked on how to take control of it. According to a senior intelligence official, they left behind software tools that are used to destroy infrastructure components. In a New York Times article, Paper in China Sets off Alarms in U.S., stirs reaction from the US camp when a military strategist, Larry M. Wortzel, told the House Foreign Affairs Committee on March 10, 2010, that it should be concerned on the paper published by Chinese researchers at the Dalian University of Technology. The paper discussed the ways to attack a small US power grid sub-network that would cause a cascading failure of the entire US. While Mr. Wang, the potential cyber warrior affirmed the publishing of the paper in an international journal, he just wanted to find ways to enhance the stability of power grids by exploring potential vulnerabilities (Barboza and Maroff, 2010). Such misunderstanding between two countries has elevated to a tension over cyber security issues. Taking down a natural gas pipeline is as easy as one could ever imagine. If computers control the infrastructure, it is thereby vulnerable to a cyber attack. A hacker can do the trick by doing the following: a. Flash-Drive Drop. Dropping a USB drive in a public area. When someone picks up the USB and plugs it into his work computer to check its content, the drive will automatically install rootkit software and the hacking takes place (Derene, 2010). b. Inside Man. When someone understands the ins and outs of a computer system, a computer expert can install a hardware that will enable him to access and control the network remotely (Derene, 2010). c. Internet Attack. Hackers can break into industrial facility’s operations by entering the backroom to search for vulnerable equipment using a "war-dialer" program that automatically calls through a list of phone numbers looking for modems (Derene, 2010).. d. Break-in. Breaking in to unmanned substations is just a matter of discriminately destroying the fence without the use of cutters nor bolts. Since the facility have wireless access points, hackers could just simply use their laptop and log in from a distance (Derene, 2010). e. Cascade Effect on power plant. A cyber attack on compressor stations that run electrical power plants could result to multiple blackouts (Derene, 2010). (Illustrations by Transluszent and Dogo) Additional incidents In an article “Computer Bomb,” a terminated employee of Omega Engineering in New Jersey plants malicious software code on a computer at his former company. The bomb deleted critical manufacturing software that caused $10 million dollars of damage (Newsweek, 2010). FBI Director Mueller said that in July 2008, a California oil and gas company called Pacific Energy Resources experienced an attack on their six computers servers, disabling leak-detection systems on three offshore oil platforms. The company lost over $100,000 (Office of Law Enforcement Coordination [OLEC], Press Room, 2010.) In 1994, computers of Salt River, major supplier of water and electricity in Phoenix, were hacked using a dial-up modem. Three years after, the public switching network of Worcester Air Traffic was disabled knocking out its control system, airport fire and security, and shutting down runway lights and phone service to residents. Similarly, the SoBig virus attacked the CSX Train Signaling System in 2003 (Weiss, 2009). The US Department of Energy itself admitted in 2006 that names and information of more than 1,500 employees of the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) had been stolen. The network intrusion, according to them may have begun in 2004 (Terrorist Capabilities for Cyberattacks: Overview and Policy Issues, 2007) Financial Sector The financial sector is not exempt from cyber terrorism. It is always a hot topic in the popular press and industry web sites. Persistent computer security vulnerabilities may expose U.S. critical infrastructure and government computer systems to possible cyber attack by terrorists, possibly affecting the economy or other areas of national security (Clay, 2003). In the World Economic Forum Annual Meeting by McAfee, Inc., the impact of cyber attacks revealed a staggering cost. In a survey of 600 IT security executives from critical infrastructures worldwide, the average estimated loss is $6.3 million a day due to large-scale infiltrations from terrorists or nation-states (McAfee, Inc. Report Reveals Cyber Cold war, with Critical Infrastructure under Constant Cyber attack Causing Widespread Damage, 2010). Financial Institutions such as banks, brokerages houses, and credit unions have also jumped head first into the information technology and wireless age out of an incessant desire to cut costs and improve customer service (Verton, p. 73, 2002). However, more than 50 percent of all major hacking incidents in 2001 targeted banks and other financial institution. To date, hundreds of millions of dollars have been extorted or siphoned from banks accounts and credit cards by organized known and unknown criminals (Verton p.73, 2003). Furthermore, wireless technologies maybe playing a significant role in those cases (p. 74). In a specific event, Russian student Levin and his gang use stolen access codes and passwords to steal more than $10 million from Citibank across the US, Europe, and Israel. However, Levin faced charges and sentenced by Citibank. Following this incident, the prestigious financial firm upgraded its security (Leynese, 1994). Discovered in June 2003, a malicious code that contains a list of roughly 1,200 Web addresses of the world’s largest financial institutions is a polymorphic virus that has capabilities to log and terminate firewall programs. According to the FBI investigating the matter, the virus attempts to use information captured from a desktop computer to break into restricted computers that contain financial data. Experts said that the Bugbear software could determine whether a victim used an e-mail address that belonged to any of the 1,300 financial institutions listed in its blueprints. If the e-mail addresses match, the program tries to steal passwords and other inform ation that would make it easier for hackers to break into a bank’s networks (Clay, 2003). A World Bank insider said that even the highly restricted treasury units of institutions could be penetrated by spy software. While having full access to the bank’s network, at least six major intrusions were made since 2007 (National Terror Alert, 2008). And just this year, hackers from Spain were arrested for infecting 13 million computers with virus that steals credit card information and other essential data. Mariposa, the name of the virus, spread to the computers of more than half of the world’s 1,000 largest companies (Leynese, 1994). Another concern in the financial sector is phishing. The Free Dictionary Online defines phishing as the act of requesting confidential information over the Internet under false pretenses. This is done to obtain credit card numbers, passwords, or other personal data. The majority of brands used in phishing attacks this quarter were in the financial services sector. These attacks accounted for 72 percent of the total reported phishing attacks in 2009. The table shows the details. (Source: Symantec Intelligence Quarterly: July-September, 2009.) These findings on the financial sector reveals that cyber terrorism could be several times more damaging to the country’s economy since the 9/11 attack. National Counterintelligence Executive Joel Brenner quoted “If instead of attacking the Twin Towers of al-Qaeda had taken down a major bank, the economic consequences would have been an order of magnitude ten times greater than economic consequences of 9/11.” (Cyber attack on US Banking System More Dangerous than 911). In a testimony delivered by Director of Central Intelligence George J. Tenet before the Senate Committee on Government Affairs quoted a line from an article in China’s “People’s Liberation Daily” that an adversary of US could just simply had to mess up the computer systems by high tech means. The article pursued on saying that if they overlook that point and simple rely on the building of a costly standing army, it is just as good as building a contemporary Maginot Line. The stakes are enormous for attacking the financial sector; trillions of dollars in financial transactions and commerce will be disrupted; huge quantities of intellectual property residing on networked systems will be hacked and stolen; and an opportunity to disrupt military effectiveness and public safety, with the elements of surprise and anonymity is high (CIA Speeches & Testimony, 1998). . Transportation Sector The transportation sector faced critical situation on cyber attack. Hackers that can access network servers can disrupt the major means of transportation. In a report noted by the Transportation Department, hackers gained access to information of about 48,000 employees of Federal Aviation Administration and took control of some FAA network servers in 2008. A manager of Computer World explained the glaring holes in America Airline’ wireless computer networks that allow hackers for hijacking or bombing (WirelessDesignMag.com) The railroad system is also vulnerable to cyber attack. A hacker can hack into the control system, which tracks the trains that are running. Even worse, hackers can derail a freight train carrying chemicals by tapping into the system resulting in further casualties caused by a chemical spill. We should be aware that the transportation system is also vital to our nations economy, defense, and quality of life. Because of failure to tight security, dramatic incidents such as the terrorist chemical attack on the Tokyo subway in 1995 occurred. Hence, security concerns are now attracting more attention since the threat is high and it might be too late to act (Improving Surface Transportation Security: A Research and Development Strategy, 2010). Health Sector The effect of cyber terrorism on oil and gas utilities, water facilities, and hospitals is one of the main points of this discussion because there are real threats and they result to a continuous struggle. Because such critical health-related infrastructures have become increasingly dependent on computer-based technologies and the Internet, cyber terrorists are potentially a few mouse clicks away from breaching dams, damaging the control systems of hazmat companies, or compromising important hospitals databases (Matusitz and Minei, 2008). The most troubling development however, is the increasing deployment of wireless networks in the health care sector (Verton, p77, 2002). The risk for both the health care industry and public become high, as hospitals tend to become more efficient in caring for patients (p.77). This is due to the 802.11b standard commercial wireless technologies for most hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, and pharmacies – despite its proven insecurity (p.77). Hospital CIOs should be very skeptical, if not downright worried, about standard WEP- protected wireless networks. According to a reliable source from a senior security firm who requests anonymity, a wireless security audit was conducted on three hospitals in a major city in West Virginia in October 2002 and it found out that each hospital’s corporate network is susceptible to attack and sabotage from hackers who are simply located nearby. Telecommunication Sector Telecommunication is defined as the transmission of messages over significant distances for the purpose of communication. Today, the telecommunication industry has gone a long way with the advent of Internet. A revolution in wireless telecommunications has begun and it plays an important role in the world economy. That is why this sector is also highly vulnerable to cyber terrorism. A Cornell University student launched the first Internet worm in 1998 and it essentially allowed shutting a large part of the early Internet. The 23-year old genius is sentenced to three years unimaginably clogging up more than 6,000 government and university computers with his virus (Leynse, 1994). With the growing numbers of hackers and expert programmers, most people have the idea of hacking. Using their intelligence, they access important data over the phone while interacting with voice response systems, according to IBM Researcher Tom Cross. The perpetrators use voice phishing and identify theft. Customers will demand better availability from phone service than they would from an ISP, so the threat of a DoS attack might compel carriers to pay out on a blackmail fraud. “At this point, mobile device capability is far ahead of security,” said Traynor, Assistant Professor, School of Computer Science at Georgia Tech. “We’ll start to see the botnet problem infiltrate the mobile world in 2009.” Security researchers at PhoneFactor, sellers of mobile phone authentication, have discovered a serious vulnerability in Secure Sockets Layers (SSL) technology. SSL uses a common security mechanism to protect online communications. As the most common data security protocol on the Internet, it encrypts online banking and commerce transactions, and secures important email data. PhoneFactor representative explained that the vulnerability would allow a hacker to launch a man-in-the-middle attack to intercept an SSL-protected session, then, he can stealthily execute commands (Moscaritolo, 2009). FUTURE FORECAST Cyber Warfare? Based on the threats and vulnerabilities discussed above, people had greater fear of another world war. This time, it could not be about big bangs of explosions and bombs but just about a silent sabotage of a blackout crippling the different sectors of the society. In the article, “How Vulnerable is U.S. Infrastructure to a Major Cyber Attack?” the war could be ignited by an enemy sending a few lines of code to control computers and affecting US and Canada seriously. The article pursued on saying that trains could roll to a stop on their tracks, while airport landing lights turn off paralyzing the terrain. It seems like watching a movie on terrorism where buildings start to crumble after a huge blackout caused by an indiscriminate hacker. “Bad-guy hackers pulling the plug on public utilities is a common theme of Hollywood films, including 2007s Live Free or Die Hard, but such scenarios present more than a mere fictional scare to U.S. intelligence officials,” the article added (Derene, 2010). Potentially, the world is threatened by cyber warfare. Most experts agree that China and Russia have investigated and examined industrial networks trying to search for a loophole that serves as an advantage for future disputes. In 1996, a Chinese General mentioned in a military publication that computer vulnerabilities would be an advantage for opposing nation to attack its opponent. First, they can change their data system. Second, they can use the enemy’s headquarters to make incorrect judgment by sending wrong information. Eventually, they could dominate the opponent’s banking system (Cyber Threats and the US Economy, 2000). Cyber warfare is scary. Any state can declare war on whoever attacks over the Internet. US Army Lt. Gen. Keith Alexander, said in an article, US Army is Itching for Cyber War, that they should attack countries like Iran and North Korea if they would launch online attacks. For him, it was unclear if the action would scare anyone (Berridge, 2010). References: A.P., June 10, 2003, Feds Warn Banks About Internet Attack. CNN.Com. http://www.cnn.com/2003/TECH/internet/06/10/virus.banks.ap/index.html. Obtained through the Internet. [Accessed 19/04/10] Barbozza, David and John Maroff. Paper in China Sets off Alarm in US. NYTimes.com. pdf. http://academia-research.com/files/message/2175784_Markoff%20-%20Chinese%20Academics%20Paper%20on%20Cyberwar%20Sets%20Off%20Alarms%20in%20US%20-%20NYTimes%20-%2003-20-10[1].pdf. Obtained through the Interner. [Accessed on 23/04/10] Berridge, Edward. 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