[infowar.de] Firmen haben Angst vor Cyberterrorismus

[Ralf Bendrath <bendrath -! - zedat - fu-berlin - de>]

Infowar.de, http://userpage.fu-berlin.de/~bendrath/liste.html
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Wie bei den Rüstungsfirmen dürfte man nun einen Kursanstieg sämtlicher
mit Sicherheit befasster Unternehmen beobachten - auch die IT-Sicherheit
profitiert offenbar. RB

http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2812815,00.html

Companies fear wave of cyberterrorism
Reuters
September 17, 2001 5:09 AM PT

     SAN FRANCISCO--Corporations are taking steps to protect computer
     networks after this week's strikes on the Pentagon and World Trade
     Center, fearing that the next attacks might be launched online,
     experts said.

     Although many companies were in shock, some executives did not
     waste any time in preparing for possible cyber attacks, which
     often follow closely on the heels of international conflicts,
     experts said Friday.

     In a recent example, there were numerous defacements of U.S. Web
     sites after the April 1 collision between a Chinese jet fighter
     and a U.S. surveillance plane.

     "A lot of people are concerned about cyberterrorism since the
     attacks," said Joel Pogar, director of information security at
     Calence Inc., a computer network consulting firm in Phoenix.

     "Electronic attacks are even easier to do because you don't have
     to do them on U.S. soil," Pogar said. "The Internet and electronic
     communications are a lot more vulnerable. You don't need a plane
     to attack an Internet connection."

     Pogar said he's seen at least a 50 percent increase in business
     since Tuesday, with smaller firms seeking to upgrade firewalls and
     intrusion detection systems that keep malicious hackers out.

     A major financial institution has asked Calence to help separate
     its national computer network into five regional networks so the
     whole system won't be compromised if security is breached at one
     office, Pogar said.

     Back to paper and faxes
     In another case, a chip manufacturing company has decided to
     temporarily take down its external Internet links with suppliers
     until it is sure its partners have their networks secured, Pogar
     said.

     "They're going low-tech, back to paper and faxes and what we used
     to do in the 1980s before we had virtual private networks and
     widespread Internet connections," Pogar said.

     Some customers who have their networks watched by Counterpane
     Internet Security also have requested additional monitoring
     services, according to Bruce Schneier, chief technology officer of
     the Cupertino, California-based company.

     "Existing customers very quickly wanted help and assurances,"
     Schneier said.

     Foundstone, a security consulting and managed services firm based
     in Irvine, California, also starting taking in more business on
     Tuesday, despite losing its office in the World Trade Center.

     "That day we got called and had a few people who wanted immediate
     attention," said Foundstone President George Kurtz. "They wanted
     for us to take a look at their perimeter and make sure their
     network is locked down."

     Some companies were at least taking the minimal step of blocking
     out encrypted e-mails to their networks, said Russ Cooper, surgeon
     general of TruSecure, a security services provider based in
     Herndon, Virginia.

     Still in shock
     For many companies it has been too early to be taking preventive
     measures, Cooper and others said.

     "At least here in New York people are still so overwhelmed and
     shocked they have not given much of a thought to whether they're
     going to start tightening down their networks," said Fred Rica, a
     partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers and the leader of its threat and
     vulnerability assessment practice.

     Even if they're not taking action now, companies are more likely
     to take computer security more seriously as a result of the
     attacks, said Alan Paller, director of research at the System
     Administration, Networking and Security Institute in Bethesda,
     Maryland.

     There has been a change in the thinking of high-level executives
     toward the importance of computer security, he said.

     "They are beginning to ask not do we have a (security) plan or
     policy, but are our systems protected, and that's a major shift,"
     said Paller.

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