THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM EXHIBIT WEAPONS OF MASS DISRUPTION EXPLORES A NEW AND INCREASINGLY OMINOUS GLOBAL INTELLIGENCE THREAT: THE POSSIBILITY THAT AN ENTIRE COUNTRY COULD BE BROUGHT TO ITS KNEES BY AN AGGRESSOR ARMED WITH A WEAPON NO MORE SINISTER THAN A COMMON LAPTOP COMPUTER.
IN RECENT YEARS WE HAVE WITNESSED HUNDREDS OF CLANDESTINE INCURSIONS INTO SEEMINGLY SECURE COMPUTER SYSTEMS WORLDWIDE. HACKERS, CRIMINALS, SPIES AND WOULD-BE TERRORISTS HAVE TAKEN DOWN WEB SITES OF PRIVATE ENTITIES AND GOVERNMENT AGENCIES, ENGINEERED NUMEROUS CASES OF IDENTITY THEFT AND FINANCIAL LOSS, AND EVEN STOLEN HIGHLY SENSITIVE DEFENSE AND INTELLIGENCE DATA.
THE ULTIMATE COVERT DIGITAL THREAT IS A FULL-SCALE CYBER WAR. AS YOU WILL SEE IN THIS EXHIBIT, NORTH AMERICA IS PARTICULARLY VULNERABLE TO SUCH A DESTRUCTIVE CYBER ATTACK BECAUSE SO MUCH OF OUR VITAL INFRASTRUCTURE Ð ELECTRICAL GENERATION AND TRANSMISSION, WATER AND SEWAGE TREATMENT, FINANCE, TRANSPORTATION, COMMUNICATIONS Ð IS DEPENDENT UPON COMPUTER CONTROLS AND INTERCONNECTED THROUGH COMPUTER NETWORKS.
THE LARGEST AND MOST INSECURE OF THOSE COMPUTER NETWORKS IS THE INTER- NET ITSELF, WHICH CAN BE ACCESSED FROM ANY CORNER OF THE GLOBE.
A COORDINATED ATTACK LAUNCHED FROM HALF A WORLD AWAY COULD AT LEAST DISRUPT AND AT WORST DEVASTATE THE LIVES OF MILLIONS. THE EFFECTS OF SUCH AN ASSAULT WOULD DWARF THOSE OF ANY HOSTILITIES EVER INITIATED ON AMERICAN SOIL Ð AND THEY COULD LAST FOR A YEAR OR EVEN LONGER.
THE INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM ADDRESSES THE GROWING THREAT OF CYBER ESPIONAGE, TERRORISM AND WARFARE AS AN ISSUE OF NATIONAL SECURITY. SO, TOO, DOES U.S. PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA, WHO IN MAY 2009 ANNOUNCED THE CREATION OF THE WHITE HOUSE OFFICE OF CYBERSECURITY COORDINATOR, TO OVERSEE A COMPREHENSIVE NATIONAL APPROACH TO FORTIFYING OUR CYBER DEFENSES.
THE PRESIDENTÕS REMARKS AT THE TIME OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT SHOULD SERVE AS AN INTRODUCTION TO THE SCOPE OF THE PROBLEM FOR THOSE UNAWARE OF ITS FULL EXTENT.
TO ALL OF US, THEY SHOULD ALSO SERVE AS AN ALERT Ð A WARNING ABOUT THE DANGERS THAT LURK OUT THERE, SOMEWHERE, IN THE SHADOWY REALM OF THE CYBER WORLD.
MILTON MALTZ
FOUNDER AND CHAIRMAN
INTERNATIONAL SPY MUSEUM
