CYBER THREATS TRANSPORTATION

Cyber Threats Transportation

Cyber Threats Transportation

Introduction

'It sounds weird. But the weird will soon be commonplace' (Levy). The information revolution is here. There is a world of information at everybody's finger tips. There is a lot of good that can come from the Internet. The future is not set in stone and had no straight course. The idea that information is to be free and by it's nature needs to be free, is the driving force behind the Internet. This is seen by many people as a good thing, and some do not like it because everyone can access it and it has not international bounderies.

'Cyberspace' is a term coined by science fiction writer William Gibson that refers to the ethereal world created by computer telecommunications. Cyberspace is the latest and most influential medium to enter our lives since television. It has raised many of the same questions that T.V. raised, but it has also raised some very new questions. A world without rulers or authority. A place where you are 100% free to do or say what you please. This has never been seen before. Some people love it. Governments hate it. Currently Cyberspace is the medium with many misconceptions and incorrect information coupled with new fears and revolutionary ideas. It is the medium that will bring us to the 21st. Century.

No constrained by our looks or preconcieved ideas about our culture, race, or gender. The net has no rules to govern it. It leaves that up to the individual user. The user has access to almost everything in the industrial world. We can exchange information quickly and easily on a global scale. The internet mirrors what goes on.

What is cyber terrorism?

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism as the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. Mark Pollitt, special agent for the FBI, defines cyber terrorism as the premeditated, politically motivated attack against information, computer systems, computer programs, and data which results in violence against noncombatant targets by sub national groups or clandestine agents.

It is the use of computers to intimidate or destroy a population; armed with nothing more deadly than a hard drive and a keyboard, terrorists may be able to take control of the stock market, alter government security codes — even hacking into a hospital computer system and changing someone's medicine prescription to a lethal dosage as an act of revenge. And what makes cyber terrorism so attractive to groups like al-Qaeda is the fact that the Internet has no boundaries. There are not any icy, mountainous borders to cross, no paperwork to present to suspicious customs officers. Instead, terrorists can use cyber space to access extremely sensitive information and spread their doctrine further than ever.

Cyber threats Effect transportation

Transportation systems have a direct impact on the nations productivity, environment, and energy ...