Novel Explores U.S.-Iraq Cyberwar

Iraq has launched a cyberattack against the United States, targeting everything from critical infrastructure networks to government systems. Authorities are hamstrung by political and legal impediments, forcing a cyber vigilante to lead a rebel force against Iraq, which makes him the target of the U.S. government as well as the terrorists. While that scenario is fictitious, it is not nearly as farfetched as it was even a few months ago, and government readers are increasingly interested in what the author of a new novel — “No Outward Sign” (Writers Club Press, November 2002) — has to say. Bill Neugent, chief engineer for cybersecurity at Mitre Corp., has recently accepted invitations to give talks on cyberterrorism at Sandia National Laboratories and the Department of Veterans Affairs. Neugent said that although his book is fiction, it examines the concept that industry, government and the public are essentially “naked in cyberspace,” with privacy diminishing, identity theft on the rise and financial accounts highly vulnerable. He added that although cyberterrorism is a real threat, the general public does not share the fear felt in government and industry circles where it is better understood. “With cyberterrorism, there’s not the fear and intimidation like with the sniper…. It’s not that gut wrenching,” Neugent said. “It’s more hollow, like reading the business section and looking at the stock market.” Full Story