On November 24, 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment staff walked into their offices in the United States of America to discover that their corporate digital network was dead. When they turned on their computers, they were greeted by an ominous message: “We've obtained all your internal data, including your secrets.”
Before its experts could hammer out a solution, the attackers had siphoned off important information, including classified documents, emails, yet-to-be-released films and more. They also went ahead to delete all data from the hard drives of all the computers.
With their digital communication and e-commerce channels neutered, Sony reverted to its outdated ways. Staff used typewriters with carbon copies to print memos. They turned to fax machines to send information to their clients and remote staff. They hand-wrote payslips when they paid salaries. They dumped their smartphones for landlines. And that was seven years ago!
Gradually, criminals have perfected their unsavoury schemes. They hack hundreds of companies and millions of individuals daily, but not much information is published about these crimes. Globally, it is estimated that proceeds from cybercrime are in trillions of dollars annually.
Fear of backlash from angry clients and the stigma that an organisation’s systems are porous is the reason why many opt not to report, until the damage is too much to keep secret.
Terrorists are also rife in this cyber game. In 2014, terrorists seized control of the French television network TV5, taking its 11 channels off air. They also overrun the broadcaster’s website, emails and social media accounts, effectively muting the company.
The point here is that if the past is a preview of what is to come, then the future is bleak. Cyber attackers could infiltrate our national election systems and cause widespread confusion and instability. They have before aimed their arsenal at the stock markets, banks and broadcasters.
They can take command of our electricity systems and plunge the country into darkness or penetrate an airline’s systems and knock them down. They spare no one – governments, companies or individuals.
Our ability to combat it is also imperilled because technology is developing much faster than we can mitigate its ills. We are playing catch up and we are ill-equipped.
Governments and other institutions are often reactive rather than preventive. Enjoying life in such a connected world and not putting strong guardrails against cybercriminals is like licking honey from a beehive and not expecting to be stung.
Governments must establish a vanguard agency to lead the charge against cyber attacks. This agency should be tasked with keeping tabs on hackers – attempted and successful. In addition, we should not be flying blind, the agency should collect data on every attack, understand who is targeted, who the perpetrators are and what is harmed. To be forewarned is to be forearmed.
