Real patriots don’t hack. Uncle Sam says only he can do that. The FBI’s National Infrastructure Protection Center warned Wednesday that growing tensions between the United States and Iraq could lead to an increase in global computer hacking activities on both sides.

“REGARDLESS OF THE MOTIVATION, the NIPC reiterates such activity is illegal and punishable as a felony,” the agency warns on its Web site. “The U.S. government does not condone so-called ‘patriot hacking’ on its behalf.
“Further, even ‘patriotic hackers’ can be fooled into launching attacks against their own interests by exploiting malicious code that purports to attack the other side when in fact it is designed to attack the interests of the side sending it,” the agency said. “In this and other ways, ‘patriotic hackers’ risk becoming tools of their enemy.”
The warning comes less than a week after administration officials confirmed that President Bush had signed a secret order allowing the government to develop guidelines under which the United States could launch cyber attacks against foreign computer systems. The United States has never conducted a large-scale cyber attack, but officials said last month that the administration’s unfolding cyber stategy will specify that the Defense Department can wage cyber warfare if the nation is attacked.
The NIPC warning doesn’t address the government’s role in such attacks, but it makes it clear that individual attacks on computer networks are illegal, regardless of the motivation. The agency specifically cited patriot hackers who target Iraq or its sympathizers, hackers opposed to war who target U.S. systems, and those who would use the crisis as a guise to further personal goals. “As tensions arise, it is prudent to be aware of and prepare for this type of activity,” the agency said.
NIPC said computer network administrators and computer users should take precautions to guard against cyber attacks while tensions between the United States and Iraq are high.

Courtesy of: Associated Press

Interceptor, your link gives me a blank page???

QUOTE

Real patriots don’t hack. Uncle Sam says only he can do that.

Thats an interesting statement. I watched a british documentary a couple of months ago where they talked to the top british hackers (cant remember their names but one did time and has just been recently released, you might know who he is). Anyway, to cut a long story short, as far as I could tell, there was no malicious intent (from the serious guys). It was just to see if they could do it..a challenge and they couldnt resist it. Very much along the lines of addiction.

I can see the article, Annie.

Thanks Red, I'll check my hosts file

I just edited/posted the entire article Annie.

Thanks Interceptor, I can see it now.

Ummmm...now that I have read it. Is this for real!

QUOTE

The warning comes less than a week after administration officials confirmed that President Bush had signed a secret order allowing the government to develop guidelines under which the United States could launch cyber attacks against foreign computer systems. The United States has never conducted a large-scale cyber attack, but officials said last month that the administration’s unfolding cyber stategy will specify that the Defense Department can wage cyber warfare if the nation is attacked.

Who has the most to lose in this warfare...IRAQ???? Where do the most proficient hackers come from? From what I've heard it aint the US.

Oh Annie....ye of little faith.

QUOTE (AnnMarie @ Feb 13 2003, 01:31 AM)

Who has the most to lose in this warfare...IRAQ???? Where do the most proficient hackers come from? From what I've heard it aint the US.

Actually if you think about it the top hackers you never know they were there.

This is from a report that I posted.

Under Discussion
The Post reported that although the Pentagon, U.S. Central Intelligence Agency, U.S. Federal Bureau of Investigation, and U.S. National Security Agency have held months of talks on National Security Presidential Directive 16, the cyber-warfare policy is far from complete. The goal would be to shut down utilities and systems such as radar.

Mi2g called such a plan a "timely initiative" and in November predicted a trend toward governments waging cyber-warfare against online terrorism. But Matai said that cyber-warfare activities launched by NATO against Serbia's telephone and power utilities in 1999 created a backlash.

"Targeted attacks on over 100 businesses in NATO member countries took place by hackers sympathetic to Serbia that were traced back to Russia and Eastern Europe," Matai said. "In the case of the looming attack on Iraq, the concern in blending cyber-warfare techniques would be the likely impact felt by the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia in particular from counter-cyber-attack which would inevitably follow suit from countries already known to originate significant hacker attacks."

QUOTE

"In the case of the looming attack on Iraq, the concern in blending cyber-warfare techniques would be the likely impact felt by the U.S., U.K., Canada, and Australia in particular from counter-cyber-attack which would inevitably follow suit from countries already known to originate significant hacker attacks."

Thanks JT, the above is my concern too.