Cryptography Reference
In-Depth Information
Chapter 10
Noncryptographic Security
Issues
Thought is great and swift and free, the light of the world, and the chief glory
of man. (quoted in [245])
Bertrand Russell (1872-1970), British philosopher and mathematician
10.1
Cybercrime
Although (physical) bank robberies are still with us, they are rapidly taking
a back seat to a newer crime requiring no direct contact: Cybercrime.
What is Cybercrime? Cybercrime (sometimes written Cyber-Crime , and
also referenced as e-crime ) is defined, in its most general sense, as any crime in-
volving computer technology and the Internet. According to a 2003 survey con-
ducted, in part, by the U.S. FBI, nearly eighty percent of attacks are launched
via the Internet; the most likely source of attackers are either hackers or dis-
gruntled employees (over ninety percent of economic crimes are committed by a
company's own employees!); and the cost of computer crime (in that year) was
in excess of 200 million dollars (U.S.). One (unfortunate) ubiquitous source of
such attackers is the bored (but typically ignorant), 10.1 teenager who employs
automated software packages devised by other (more informed) hackers. 10.2 In
this case, only the original, inventive, cyber-smart hacker needs to have the
computer aptitude to create the software, then distribute it for use over the
Internet.
Cyber Terrorism : The extrapolation of the modern-day hacker is the
cyberterrorist , who may be able to create disaster from outside a given country.
10.1 Such a computer user with little skill, who employs the software creations of others, is
called a script kiddie .
10.2 For now, we will think of “hacker” as a slang term for any entity that attempts to break
into a computer system. In Section 10.2, we will look at such entities in more depth.
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