Bitcoin ushered in and empowers the golden age of cybercrime. The Dark Net, the Dark Web are real networks of cybercrime where using Bitcoin you can transact your purchase; ransomware, malware, stolen credit card numbers, bank accounts, financial data, and intellectual property. Terrorists troll the Dark Net to associate, communicate, plan and execute attacks both physical and cyber. The Dark Web is an easy place to get to using “TOR.” Google and Microsoft Internet Explorer log browser activity. Honest citizens of the world use TOR to escape network surveillance.
Cybercrime is increasing and ever changing, smart, intrusive, profitable via Bitcoin, ruinous to companies and individuals with no target too small or too large. Cybercriminals invade computing infrastructures and morph seamlessly into administrative status. They grant themselves administrative accounts and privileged accounts, validated and almost undetectable. With the DBA account comprised, ransomware is enabled and the hacker owns the data. “Get your decryption key. Send payment to the Bitcoin link.”
The World is at War, the CyberWar, the cyber enemy; unknown, nameless, stateless and rogue state funded. Cybercriminals sneak and assimilate into company networks. They wait and steal and attack company assets. Cybercriminals have nothing to defend. Cybercriminals hit without fear or concern of retaliation.
For Security in the Cyber-World companies identify their assets, implement prevention and detection, plan internal response and reactive policies and procedures and they purchase cyber insurance. The best defense is a good offense, not when it comes to cybersecurity.
The United States and Israel apparently launched a cyber-attack known as Stuxnet against Iran’s nuclear program. Alleged state funded hacking to safe guard countries and citizens and national security.
As Cybersecurity evolves, the cybercriminal adjusts, frequently steps ahead. Requirements for cybersecurity call for a radically different approach to engage cybersecurity companies to provide software for proactive pre-emptive strikes, retaliation against known cybercriminals to destroy their criminal cyber assets? The tenor of cybersecurity is high profile; even CNN does cyber-attack stories.
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani is now the chairman of cybersecurity and crisis management at the law firm of Greenberg Traurig. Retired US Air Force Lt General and Former Director of the NSA Ken Minihan is a Managing Director at Paladin Capital Group with a laser focus on Security in the CyberWorld. The best defense is a good offense.
Image Credit: CC by Perspecsys Photos