Cyber Sabotage Attacks the Century’s Worst Innovation

One of the world’s leading experts on cybersecurity calls cyber sabotage attacks “the worst innovation of this century.” Cyberweapons have become too dangerous, and cyberattack can lead to visible and important damage to the critical infrastructure or telecommunications. And, attribution is almost impossible.

Eugene Kaspersky, chief executive officer and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab, told the audience at the AFCEA Global Intelligence Forum in the National Press Club in Washington, D.C., that several industry sectors, such as the gas and oil industry, are scared to death about cyberattacks. Unlike sophisticated kinetic weapons that require considerable hardware development and can be expensive, software weapons require only intellectual expertise and very little expense.

Ironically, while governments have a daunting task defending against, and determining attribution for, cyber sabotage attacks, the day of the cybercriminal may be numbered. Kaspersky described how governments are gaining on cybercriminals, and Interpol is opening a cybercrime center in Singapore next year. Kaspersky went so far as to predict the demise of cybercrime in short order.

“Next year, cybercrime will be an old story—done!” he declared.