Cybercops

While the world has yet to experience a catastrophic cyberattack, the vulnerability of cyberspace is a matter of record. In fact, computer crimes and information security breaches have continued to increase unabated in the wake of the dot-com bust. When the Computer Security Institute (www.gocsi.com) recently asked more than 500 information technology professionals from government, ...

While the world has yet to experience a catastrophic cyberattack, the vulnerability of cyberspace is a matter of record. In fact, computer crimes and information security breaches have continued to increase unabated in the wake of the dot-com bust. When the Computer Security Institute (www.gocsi.com) recently asked more than 500 information technology professionals from government, corporate, educational, and medical institutions if their workplaces had experienced computer security breaches within the last 12 months, 85 percent responded in the affirmative. But governments and private citizens are using the Web to fight back against cybercriminals and even cyberterrorists.

While the world has yet to experience a catastrophic cyberattack, the vulnerability of cyberspace is a matter of record. In fact, computer crimes and information security breaches have continued to increase unabated in the wake of the dot-com bust. When the Computer Security Institute (www.gocsi.com) recently asked more than 500 information technology professionals from government, corporate, educational, and medical institutions if their workplaces had experienced computer security breaches within the last 12 months, 85 percent responded in the affirmative. But governments and private citizens are using the Web to fight back against cybercriminals and even cyberterrorists.

European nations have forged ahead in multilateral agreements on preventing cybercrime and cyberterrorism. On November 8, 2001, the Council of Europe’s Committee of Ministers agreed to the sweeping Convention on Cyber-Crime, the first international treaty on criminal offenses committed through the Internet. The convention text and more information are available at www.coe.int.

Meanwhile, in the United States, the Web site of the Critical Infrastructure Assurance Office (www.ciao.gov), created in 1998, contains educational materials accessible to the public. See in particular U.S. President George W. Bush’s executive order on Critical Infrastructure Protection in the Information Age, issued on October 16, 2001. Likewise, the Web site of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s (FBI) National Infrastructure Protection Center, www.nipc.gov, provides warnings on international threats and invites Web surfers to report incidents of cybercrime.

Another useful tool for companies and individuals is provided by Interpol (www.interpol.int), the multilateral agency tasked with combating global crime. Its information technology crime Web page, among other things, tracks the proliferation of computer viruses around the world on a month-by-month basis and provides the names of online viral threats. This useful site also contains "checklists" for companies and individuals that advise how to secure networks against cyberthreats.

The private endeavor www.cyberdefenders.com provides a fascinating "know your adversaries" page, devoted almost entirely to reviewing 59 of the most notorious hacker sites, including www.hackersclub.com/km/ (a "tutorial" site complete with a hackers’ reference library) and www.hackershomepage.com (where you can order hacking devices like keystroke grabbers and school "grade changers"). Surf these sites at your own risk. There’s no lifeguard on duty.

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