Cyberwarfare 'a reality in 12 months'

increasing reliance on IP networks in critical infrastructure organisations such as banks and power stations could mean trouble, Gartner claims. The increasing use of IP technology in power stations, railroads, financial institutions and other such institutions will make cyberwarfare a reality by 2005, according to analysts. Although an actual act of cyber-warfare or cyber-terrorism has never been recorded, the potential exists and is being facilitated by an increasingly connected world, according to a report released on Wednesday by market-research firm Gartner. Technologies such as VoIP and the trend towards voice and data convergence have cost and flexibility benefits for businesses, but they also expose vital telecommunications networks to traditional forms of Internet attack, such as worms and viruses, according to the report, “Cyberwarfare: VoIP and convergence increases vulnerability”. “An increasingly connected world increases the possibility that cyber-warfare will be waged,” the report says. “The increasing use of VoIP and convergence networks for critical-infrastructure control and maintenance makes the attacks increasingly viable.” Full Story