When I Grow Up I want to be a Cyberterrorist

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Presented at BSidesLondon 2010 by

Computer mediated terror is big business. Books get written. New reports get recorded. Every time a teenager discover LOIC and 4chan it makes headlines. Experts have warned for years of the likelihood of an 'electronic pearl harbour'. Even John McClane and Hollywood have got into the fray. So, who are the cyberterrorists, and how will they cause the downfall of Western civilisation? This talk examines some of the more ridiculous claims made about computer mediated attacks on CNI (Critical National Infrastructure) as well as providing details of how terrorists could actually cause harm should they actually know what they are doing (as opposed to performing low level scams like al-Daour, Mughal & Tsouli). As well as addressing weaknesses in the critical infrastructure of the UK, it discusses specific attacks (that may well work) as well as practical countermeasures. The talk also adresses the politics of fear, and how a fundemental misunderstanding (or misappropriation) of both technology and the 'terrorist' mindset is leading to a clampdown on network freedoms, and what can be done about it (other than blowing up power stations and telco backbones). It should be noted that the author is risking getting on all manner of 'watch' lists to deliver this talk.