The Black Hat Conference is under way and the first day opened with former FBI Cyber Crime Unit Chief explaining that the most destructive and worrisome problem facing the world today is cyber crime. Quoting the article Cyber defenders urged to go on the offense in Kioskea.com:
The first day of briefings at a prestigious Black Hat computer security gathering here opened with a former FBI cyber crime unit chief calling for a shift from defense to offense when it comes to protecting networks.
“We need warriors to fight our enemies, particularly in the cyber world right now,” Shawn Henry said in a Black Hat keynote presentation that kicked off with dramatic video of hostage rescue teams training.
“I believe the threat from computer network attack is the most significant threat we face as a civilized world, other than a weapon of mass destruction.”
The peril grows as water supplies, power grids, financial transactions, and more rely on the Internet and as modern lives increasingly involve working and playing on smartphones or tablet computers, according to Henry.
He rolled off a list of adversaries ranging from spies and well-funded criminals to disgruntled employees with inside knowledge of company networks.
“Cyber is the great equalizer,” Henry said.
“With a $500 laptop with an Internet connection anybody, anywhere in the world can attack any organization, any company,” he continued. “The last time I checked, that was about 2.3 billion people.”