DACS General Meeting
July, 2010
Meeting Review:
Hacking Today: Malware, Botnets, Organized Crime and Cyber Spies—Jim Scheef

By Patrick Libert

Jim Scheef’s captivating presentation began with a brief definition and history of computer hacking. Hacking is big business as it used for identity theft, espionage, and theft of intellectual property.

Jim prefaced his presentation with the comment that he is not an expert on the subject but a devoted reporter. His main sources were Richard A. Clark and Robert K. Knake’s book, Cyberwar, The Next Threat to National Security and What To Do About It and the July 1, 2010 issue of The Economist—"War in the Fifth Domain."

The biggest concern is not from the more common spam and phishing activity but from the use of malware to “hijack” a computer and turn it into a remotely controlled botnet.

Using this capability, one’s seemingly innocent computer could be sending large volumes of spam without any visible evidence. Jim cited the example of a person whose computer was sending so much spam that Comcast asked him to stop or the service would be cancelled. Have you asked your computer lately what it is doing while YOU are sleeping?

Jim takes us to the next level by describing how these botnets have also been used to saturate and immobilize networks by creating Distributed Denial of Service attacks (DDoS). Several attacks in past years have targeted the private and the government sector with disruptive effects.

Jim gave several detailed examples of how malicious malware targeted specific companies and government entities. One of the most fascinating examples was that of the Soviet gas pipeline explosion in 1982 that allegedly occurred due to tampering of the software, by the CIA, of the electronic controllers.

As Jim continued, I began to feel less comfortable about our relative safety. If malware can be so readily attached to any software, our infrastructure is quite fragile. It is hoped that there are many more safeguards than we are told. We are warned that this electronic warfare will be the next conflict and it behooves us to be aware, ask questions of our politicians and insist that action be taken.

Jim’s detailed program was more than a DACS presentation—it was an awakening!