Is a computer security disaster in the making?
A former senior technical director at the U.S. National Security Agency told a lecture hall full of students at the University of Calgary today that a major cyber-catastrophe is in the making — but it could happen anywhere.
Brian Snow [pictured], now an independent security advisor, told the U of C students that while functionality and performance have improved markedly in the past several years, security is woefully behind the times. He says it’s just a matter of time before a major cyber disaster hits somewhere in the world, and the necessary preventative measures, solutions and effects of such a disaster are unknowable, because we have never had to deal with an electronic catastrophe of such scale.
"It's long weeks to short months at best before there's a security meltdown," said Snow, as a guest lecturer for the Institute for Security, Privacy and Information Assurance, an interdisciplinary group at the university dedicated to information security.
"Will a bank failure be the wake-up call before we act? It's a global problem — not just the U.S., not just Canada, but the world."
Snow said that while operating systems, hardware and software often hum along, there are many problems behind the scenes. Extraneous code, too much external control and not enough third-party testing make systems vulnerable.
He said another way to open yourself up to harm is by downloading tons of applications, which offers optional entry points for the theft of personal information, as well as access to businesses you're connected to.
I only hope that if banks get hit, the cyber-terrorists will be nice enough to erase my Mastercard bill.
How much do you worry about computer security? Do you think this is Y2K-style nonsense, or are we really building a house on a foundation of sand with our society and economy’s reliance on computers? Let us know what you think in the comments board.
