FBI Director: CyberAttacks Will Surpass Terrorism as #1 Threat

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 08:51:00 AM EST
Tags: cyberthreats, FBI (all tags)

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FBI Director Robert Mueller delivered this speech yesterday at the RSA conference in San Francisco. Highlights:

Cyberattacks will replace terrorism as America's number one threat

Terrorism remains the FBI’s top priority. But in the not too distant future, we anticipate that the cyber threat will pose the number one threat to our country.

Stings and more electronic surveillance are coming, including on social networks and wireless technologies: [More...]

We must rely on the traditional capabilities of the Bureau: sources and wires. We must cultivate the sources necessary to infiltrate criminal online networks, to collect the intelligence to prevent the next attack, and to topple the network from the inside.

We must ensure that our ability to intercept communications—pursuant to court order—is not eroded by advances in technology. These include wireless technology and peer-to-peer networks, as well as social media.

Hacking is inevitable

I am convinced that there are only two types of companies: those that have been hacked and those that will be.

You can watch his speech here.

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FBI Director: CyberAttacks Will Surpass Terrorism as #1 Threat | 8 comments (8 topical)

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Awesome (5.00 / 0) (#1)
by ScottW714 on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 12:04:47 PM EST

I got Norton, can we toss the airport scanners in the trash now ?

: The airport scanners... (5.00 / 0) (#2)
by kdog on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 12:49:35 PM EST

will be retro-fitted to be hard drive scanners...ya gotta plug your phone and laptop in for full inspection prior to boarding.
If cyberattacks are in fact our greatest threat going forward we're a winner...disband the CIA/NSA/DHS and replace them all with a couple kids down with Anonyomous..we might save enough to balance the budget and start paying down the debt. Happy Days.

There will be people (5.00 / 0) (#3)
by Edger on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 02:18:42 PM EST

seeing deadly threats everywhere now, not just under their beds and in their closets.

They swim across the oceans with knives in their teeth to get 'em.

Profile this!

Well... (5.00 / 0) (#4)
by ScottW714 on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 04:28:20 PM EST

Why should private enterprise be burdened with protecting their own data when the FBI will do it for free ?

So now private enterprise will have the FBI securing their copyrights in foreign lands, their data, and the military ensures they have no security costs real global security costs.

I think the wing nuts are on to something, our government is over-bloated and giving away way too many free services. The difference of course is they are worried about food stamps and I am worried about aircraft carriers.


: Aircraft carriers and (5.00 / 0) (#5)
by Edger on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 04:41:57 PM EST

investment bankers.

More "electronic surveillance" (5.00 / 1) (#6)
by Zorba on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 04:58:12 PM EST

Great, just great. Why don't they just micro-chip and GPS us all, connect all our electronic communications directly to the FBI/NSA/whatever, install video monitoring everywhere, and be done with it? Sorry, sorry. I'm just getting fed up and crabby.

And always remember (5.00 / 0) (#7)
by Edger on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 05:11:10 PM EST

If you see something, say something.

Just because you're not paranoid doesn't mean they're not out to get you, you know...


: And remember to file those SARs promptly... (5.00 / 1) (#8)
by Mr Natural on Fri Mar 02, 2012 at 06:22:43 PM EST

Innocence is merely the presumption that you haven't been caught.