WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano warned on Thursday that a major cyber attack is a looming threat and could have the same sort of impact as last year’s Superstorm Sandy, which knocked out electricity in a large swathe of the Northeast.
Napolitano said a “cyber 9/11” could happen “imminently” and that critical infrastructure – including water, electricity and gas – was very vulnerable to such a strike.
“We shouldn’t wait until there is a 9/11 in the cyber world. There are things we can and should be doing right now that, if not prevent, would mitigate the extent of damage,” said Napolitano, speaking at the Wilson Center think tank in Washington and referring to the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Napolitano runs the sprawling Homeland Security Department that was created 10 years ago in the aftermath of September 11 and charged with preventing another such event.
She urged Congress to pass legislation governing cyber security so the government could share information with the private sector to prevent an attack on infrastructure, much of which is privately owned.
A cyber security bill failed in Congress last year after business and privacy groups opposed it. The measure would have increased information-sharing between private companies and U.S. intelligence agencies and established voluntary standards for businesses that control power grids or water treatment plants.
Business groups said the legislation was government overreach. Privacy groups feared it might lead to Internet eavesdropping.
New cyber legislation is being considered, but it is unclear whether it will get through the gridlocked Congress.
President Barack Obama is expected to soon issue an executive order that would set up a voluntary system to help protect some critical infrastructure and offer incentives to companies that participate.
But without a new law, companies cannot be granted any kind of legal immunity for sharing information with the government and within the industry about potential threats.
Officials have pointed to recent hacking attacks on U.S. banks as a sign that the cyber threat is real and growing.
“The clarion call is here and we need to be dealing with this very urgently,” said Napolitano. “Attacks are coming all the time. They are coming from different sources, they take different forms. But they are increasing in seriousness and sophistication.”
(Reporting by Deborah Charles; Editing by Xavier Briand)
http://news.yahoo.com/u-homeland-chief-cyber-9-11-could-happen-215436518.html
On a personal basis I do not care for Napolitano, But she has stuck a cord, The Chinese are readying themselves for not just for war with the Japanese but the U S as well . This Conflict between The Japanese and and Peoples Republic of China WILL involve the United States, as the Chinese are more than aware of this . The indicators are many . here is one .
http://www.businessinsider.com/z-10-helicopter-ferry-tanks-senkaku-diaoyu-japan-china-island-dispute-2013-1?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Military%20Select&utm_campaign=Military%20Select%202013-01-25&utm_content=emailshare
http://www.businessinsider.com/chinas-carrier-killer-missile-test-proves-df-21d-lives-up-to-name-2013-1?nr_email_referer=1&utm_source=Triggermail&utm_medium=email&utm_term=Military%20Select&utm_campaign=Military%20Select%202013-01-25&utm_content=emailshare
Was it not reported just days ago that the Chinese had developed plans on how to sink the U S Fleets ? the Chinese are not just readying themselves for the Japanese but for the U S as well as the Chinese fully realize any attack upon Japan means an attack on the U S . this has been calculated very carefully . and what nation will assist the Chinese ? The Russian Federation, everyone realizes the Chinese and Russia are allies .
Pleeeease hurry up and pass a cybersecurity bill or we’re all DOOMED. Im sure the US govt has all kinds of nasty things planned in order to make us want to give up even more of our rights. Bastards.
Here’s a good idea! Let’s build 150 nuclear power plants all across the United States. Let’s make them so if outside electricity fails the entire nuclear plant is totally reliant on a crappy diesel generator that might have gas. If that generator runs out of gas in 8 hours the entire nuclear fuel melts causing a China Syndrome resulting in the entire United States to become uninhabitable. Oh, and here’s a super idea!! Let’s make the controls to our nuclear plants and electric grids “totally dependant on the internet”! (idiots)
It is Janet and friends who are responsible for such viruses as Stuxnet, Flame and many offshoots. If we see a “cyber 9-11,” we’ll know who did it.
There was a test run against banks in Lebanon last August:
http://www.wired.com/threatlevel/2012/08/gauss-espionage-tool/all/