Mobile portable maps, GPS systems, and satellite phones have helped individuals, but the same technology in the hands of extremists has aided them in successfully carrying out damage to life, economy, and property of devastating magnitude. The biggest threat to many nations
today world does not come from direct armed conflicts, but from infiltration
into the seemingly secure treasures of digitized content that can lead to either
stealing and/or sabotaging vital information, as well as illicit and
unauthorized control of confidential and sensitive data and systems.
It's easy to tap on your mobile
phone and transact hard-earned money. The movie “Die Hard 4.0 (Live free or
Die Hard)” offers a Hollywood-esque demonstration of how an all-out hacking
attack - carried across broadcasting and communication channels, security
systems, financial systems, traffic controlling systems, and even breaking into
systems to issue incorrect orders of attack to government fighter planes .Hacking attempts by individual or
groups who aim to steal/sabotage individual or business information is quite
common. The consequences may be limited and may not be of high magnitude. The recent news of
allegations that North Korea conducted a state-sponsored hacking attack into
network of Sony Pictures prior to the cinematic release of “The Interview” had many consequences:
A
large amount of confidential information residing on Sony network was
compromised.
Sony
Pictures had to reportedly delay the release of the movie.
More
sanctions were imposed on North Korea by the US.
There
was a further deterioration of relations between the two nations.
Above are examples of how situation
can worsen when state-level participants, backed with strong military power,
are involved in or even accused of such cyber conflicts. Apart from strained
relations between nations and threats to global peace, state-sponsored cyber
attacks can have devastating impacts on multiple industries and businesses. A few of the
industry sectors discussed below (like transport) may sound too trivial to be
the primary targets of state-sponsored hacking and espionage, but they serve as
important initial channels leading to vital information.
Information
Technology
IT is where the world resides . With all data getting digitized and more storage in "the
cloud," the obvious targets for accessing personal information, as well as
crippling the online world by blocking access, are IT businesses, including
e-commerce, Internet, software, and even hardware companies.
What initially appeared to be a
simple hacking attack on Internet giant Google Inc.’s services to get individual account
information was discovered to be much, much more. The attack by Chinese hackers in 2010 on Google
servers was aimed at gaining “access to a sensitive database with years’ worth
of information about US surveillance targets.” Though Google was the main
target, further reports suggest that it was carried out on a
much wider scale, impacting more than 34 companies, including IT majors like
Yahoo! Inc. , Symantec Corp. and Adobe Systems, Inc.
Energy
and Utilities
May 2014 saw the indictment of five Chinese military hackers,
allegedly backed by Chinese authorities, for cyber attacks and espionage
charges involving the US nuclear power, metals, and solar products industries
and businesses .
The Eastern European group “The
Dragonfly” has reportedly hacked into energy companies in
Europe and the US since 2011, which could affect energy supplies across various
product segments of petroleum, gas, and crude oil in countries like the US,
Germany, Spain, France, Italy, Poland, and Turkey.
Media
Media houses are among the prime
targets for any state-sponsored attack. A few recent examples include:
The
hacker group known as the Syrian Electronic Army, known to be allied to
Sony
Pictures network was hacked, by the North Korean-sponsored
hacking group “Guardians of Peace,” who threatened to target the
actors and executives, along with warnings of a 9/11-style attack on Sony
establishments.
Finance
Stealing financial data for monetary
gains may be targeted at individuals. But there are larger repercussions of
crippling a nation’s economy if financial information is compromised, which
makes financial sector as one of the commonly targeted sector by hackers backed
by nation states.
In August 2014, JP and nine other large financial
organizations suffered a major breach due to a cyber attack that compromised
information from 83 million accounts from JP Morgan alone.
Defense
The defense sector and business
firms associated with them such as suppliers and contractors are high on the
list of targets of state-sponsored hackers. Motives involve stealing technology
and gaining information on existing and upcoming defense systems and equipment,
trade secrets, military projects, and research programs.
The Iran-based “Ajax” group is reported to be carrying out hacking attempts
like “Operation Saffron Rose,” aimed at gaining information about the US
defense industry.
Transportation
The US armed services identified at least 50 successful intrusions
into the transport contractor networks between June 2012 and May 2013. Of
these, 20 were identified to be “advanced persistent threat usually associated
with foreign governments” attributed to China. The primary target does not
matter, what matters are the channel and the end target. The US Transportation
Command (TRANSCOM) plays a vital role in sustainment, mobilization, and
deployment operations, and private companies and contractors contribute in
associated functions. The hacking attempts on the network of these external
associates were aimed at stealing intellectual property, as well as gathering
intelligence for future exploitation.
Airline
Industry
The state-sponsored “Tarh Andishan”
group of Iran has reportedly been successful in getting access to
security systems at airports in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and South Korea.
Airlines in the US, United Arab Emirates, South Korea, Pakistan, and Qatar are
reportedly compromised. Additionally, the group managed to break into the
“systems of companies in the aerospace industry in Israel and China”.
The
Bottom Line
FBI Director James Comey recently mentioned that companies might not even be aware they have been hacked. Hacking is a global phenomenon.
Data, control and access at the individual level regularly get compromised, but
the state sponsorship of large-scale hacking can lead to devastating impacts at
global levels. Unfortunately, businesses and economic institutions aren’t fully
equipped to counteract such hacking attempts .