The recent cyber attacks on U.S. government Web sites, including those of the White House and the State Department, spotlight yet another national-security vulnerability.
Some experts described the attacks as simple and primitive. But Alan Paller of the Sans Institute, which provides worldwide computer-security training, professional certification and a research archive, said the attack on government and commercial sites — including Yahoo Finance and the New York Stock exchange — "is not a small thing."
"This is a harbinger of how people who are angry or at war with us can affect government Web sites," Paller said.
The attacks, which also affected the Washington Post and government sites in South Korea, are cause for concern. Tens of thousands of computers were affected around the world, which some experts say is a window into potentially more serious problems.
The attacks were limited to U.S. government Web sites that are public — not internal. However, South Korean officials say they believe the attacks were planned and executed by a specific organization or state level. There are some indications that the attacks originated in China. Yonhap, South Korea's state news agency, reported that South Korea's intelligence service had implicated North Korea or pro-North Korean groups. The July 4 start date of the cyber attacks coincided with North Korea's launch of seven ballistic missiles on Independence Day.
As experts continue to determine the origin of the attacks and their impacts, these events serve as a reminder that the cyber world is yet another venue for individuals or organizations bent on harming the United States, its allies and the private sector.
Government officials and industry must be diligent about heading off these disruptions or risk losing valuable data or control of vital systems. The fact this attack worked indicates that controls at some government agencies and private businesses were not sufficient to ward off these hackers. That needs to change.