A controversial UK security vendor is calling for the creation of a World Security Organisation (WSO) to crack down on 'cyberterror' as well as real world threats by air, land, sea and space.
Yet some in the industry have criticised the 'cyberterror' part of the plan, saying it is bogged down in fanciful thinking and hyperbole. One expert has even branded it "barmy".
DK Matai, the chairman of mi2g will address the Oxford University Internet Institute on Thursday evening with a proposal for a body which would tackle the issue of 'cyberterrorism'.
According to the company, he will address 60 attendees, including senior execs from the banking and insurance sectors as well as representatives from the academic, diplomatic, government and intelligence fields.
Among the proposals he will present are the creation of "a global collaborative venture more powerful than Interpol" as well as plans to "reduce poverty levels in deprived areas from where radicals and organised crime members are recruited".
But such bold claims have lead one leading anti-virus expert to brand the plans as "barmy".
Speaking anonymously to ZDNet UK sister site silicon.com, he said: "We could just laugh this off as barmy, were it not for the fact that government, the City and now Oxford University actually take this self-appointed guru seriously. That's where I stop laughing and start worrying about the direction things are going."
Addressing the specific accusations above a statement from mi2g said: "Far from engaging in hyperbole, we feel that our point of view is balanced and realistic."
And Matai remains bullish about the role the WSO could play in ensuring greater safety for internet users and world governments.
"The feedback we have received has been overwhelmingly in favour of The World Security Organisation," he said in a statement. "We invite further dialogue in this area because a significant need for such an institution has now been clearly identified by several countries." Central to any criticism of these plans is the fact that evidence of a genuine cyber-terror threat is yet to be presented by any respected body, according to Simon Perry, VP security strategy at CA who was recently invited to advise ENISA (the European Network and Information Security Agency) as a member of its permanent stakeholders group.
Supporting this view, Pete Simpson, ThreatLab manager at Clearswift, told silicon.com: "There has not been a single cyberterror threat. Not one. It's entirely fabricated and non-existent."
Simpson suggested "political propaganda" and "commercial propaganda" may both be playing a part.
Addressing whether the claims of mi2g should be regarded as genuine cause for concern, leading computer science academic, Ross Anderson, from Cambridge University, told silicon.com: "The use of the word 'cyberterrorism' signals marketing rather than anything else."
The other misconception with cyber-terror, according to CA's Perry, is the idea that terrorists will have a means of attack other than those attacks we see currently.
DK Matai's speech entitled Cyberland Security: Organised Crime, Terrorism and the Internet can be obtained free of charge by emailing intelligence.unit@mi2g.com.
Talkback
Dear Sirs / ZD Net Readers
The talk by our Chairman at Oxford University is not tomorrow night but this evenig.
Please note that the proposed World Security Organisation has many facets and the precise reasons for proposing it are discussed in DK Matai's speech delivered at the Oxford Internet Institute.
We would urge you to make up your mind after reading DK's speech which can be obtained free of charge from the mi2g Intelligence Unit: intelligence.unit@mi2g.com.
In regard to mi2g's cyber terror views: Far from engaging in hyperbole, we feel that our point of view is balanced and realistic.
Feel free to make up your own mind by reading: "How real is the threat of cyber terrorism?" This is a free article and it can be accessed from here: http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/press/101104.php
Best wishes
Intelligence Unit
mi2g Ltd
29th Floor
One Canada Square
London, E14 5DY
tel +44 (0) 20 7712 1782
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Urgent - 'Experts' challenge mi2g Chairman's speech at Oxford University - Open Letter
London, UK - 11 February 2005, 16:15 GMT
For the Attention Of:
Matt Loney
Editor, ZD Net UK
Michael Parsons
News Editor, ZD Net UK
Tony Hallett
Editor, Silicon.com
Dear Sirs
This is an Open Letter published on our websites with immediate effect (www.mi2g.net and www.mi2g.com).
We write to you from mi2g in London and would be grateful if you can investigate the situation we are facing as a result of your groups' recent publications. Hundreds of your readers have repeatedly brought the following to our attention and we are concerned to read the articles, which have been authored by your colleagues Dan Ilett and Will Sturgeon, because they are factually incorrect and therefore present the wrong picture:
1. Clarke joins latest cyberterror debate - http://news.zdnet.co.uk/internet/security/0,39020375,39187582,00.htm
2. Cyberterror threats dismissed - http://news.zdnet.co.uk/0,39020330,39187414,00.htm (Originally published by Silicon.com)
These articles, appear to be responding to the speech made by our Chairman yesterday at the OII, University of Oxford - http://www.mi2g.com/cgi/mi2g/reports/speeches/100205.pdf
With respect, we are concerned that we have not been asked to make a comment at all in regard to the originally published articles, which amounts to firing a gun, that discredits us and challenges our reputation, on the shoulder of 'eminent' personalities. Those 'expert' personalities, such as Richard Clarke, also appear not to have read DK Matai's speech and have made factually incorrect statements as a result. We feel that in the absence of a balanced analysis of the speech, rampant errors and omissions in your analyses, your articles may be mis-informing your readers in a serious way.
For the record, the following facts in regard to our Chairman's speech are worth noting and should be brought to the attention of your readers immediately:
1. May we respectfully point out that the World Security Organisation (WSO) being proposed is an international body dealing with organised crime and terrorism in all five dimensions - cyberspace, outer space, sky, sea and land. It seems that your colleagues have not presented a balanced point of view by simply focussing on cyber terror and then identifying rival experts to seek their mis-informed opinions. With respect, those experts appear not to have read the speech by DK Matai otherwise they would note that the thrust of the speech even in the cyber dimension is in regard to organised crime.
2. The words "cyber terrorism" are mentioned only once in the speech and not in the skewed context of your articles. The title of the speech refers to the way in which the Internet provides the glue for trans-national organised crime, terrorism and affects domestic as well as international security issues. We are concerned to note that your colleagues do not appear to understand the holistic views on security which are being presented. We would urge your readers to make up their own mind after reading DK Matai's speech which can be obtained free of charge from the mi2g web site.
3. The speech was reviewed by over 117 senior professionals in the banking, insurance, reinsurance, government, intelligence, defence, diplomatic, legal and academic arena for which we are grateful. Thought provoking and diverse views have been received from professionals based in Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Russia, Singapore, Switzerland, UK and USA. Many have chosen to remain anonymous and 26 reviewers have their names listed on the last page.
4. In regard to mi2g's cyber terror views: Far from engaging in hyperbole, we feel that our point of view is balanced and realistic based on the evidence we have garnered. Your readers can make up their own mind by reading: "How real is the threat of cyber terrorism?" This is a free article and it ca