Last year’s attacks on Sony’s storage server caused uproar in the online gaming community after the effective leak of around 12 million users’ credit card details. What made the story front page news was the message that this type of attack sends out to the wider world: it showed the vulnerability of big companies to intelligent online attacks.
Moreover, it demonstrated the reliance of both governments and members of the general public on private companies to maintain stringent security measures against hackers if cyber terrorism is not to become something that interferes with everyday life on a regular basis.
Before the large scale Sony attack, many internet users would not think twice about inputting sensitive information into websites, even less those that are considered trusted and reliable. The reaction in the immediate aftermath was one of concern, with a glut of reactionary advice about not entering bank details where anything might seem suspicious. But Sony are a company of a global standing, and their network storage security measures were exposed as seriously lacking.
The British government’s recently revealed desires of monitoring communications – which means keeping tabs on everything from phone calls and text messages to emails and website visits (including social networks) – exposes the extent of their worry about the lack of reliable security structures in place on the internet.
They have swallowed the ‘no storage server is ever safe’ line that many internet strategists peddle, and instead of enforcing stringent security measures on all network storage systems, have decided spying on all activity is the easier option, as a policy that does not specifically target cyber terrorism but tries to cover all security matters in one bill. Only by understanding that hacking groups are striving for a freer and more open internet, and engaging properly with that ideal, will governments begin to make headway over the issue of cyber terrorism.
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