Cyber-attacks eclipsing terrorism as gravest domestic threat – FBI | World … · 2013. 12. 13. · Cyber-security concerns eclipsed those about terrorism in a hearing dedicated

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Cyber-attacks eclipsing terrorism asgravest domestic threat – FBICounter-terrorism chiefs urge Congress to resist alteringcontroversial surveillance programs except 'at the margins'

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Spencer Ackerman in New Yorktheguardian.com, Thursday 14 November 2013 13.06 EST

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FBI director James Comey listens to Homeland Security secretary Rand Beerstestify before a Senate panel. Photograph: Michael Reynolds/EPAThe threat of a major terrorist attack inside the United States is lowertoday than before 2001, three of the country’s most senior counter-terrorism officials testified on Thursday.

But the heads of the FBI, Department of Homeland Security and NationalCounterterrorism Center urged Congress only to change controversialsurveillance programs at the “margins".

A devastating, 9/11-style attack is “more likely now to be overseas than itis in the homeland”, Rand Beers, the acting secretary of the Departmentof Homeland Security, told a Senate panel, “but that is not to say weshould drop our guard in any way”.

Testifying for the first time since becoming FBI director in September,James Comey told the Senate homeland security and government affairscommittee that cyber-attacks were likely to eclipse terrorism as adomestic danger over the next decade.

“That’s where the bad guys will go,” Comey said. “There are no safeneighborhoods. All of us are neighbors [online].”

Comey said the threat to online networks in the United States, to includebusiness and government data, came from disparate actors with differentmotivations, from spies to “hacktivists”, which he likened to an “evil layercake”.

Cyber-security concerns eclipsed those about terrorism in a hearingdedicated to updating the Senate on domestic threats. Beers and Comeyurged Congress to pass new cyber-security legislation expandinggovernment access to private-sector data, ostensibly to redressvulnerabilities in business and other non-governmental networks.

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Senator Tom Coburn, the top Republican on the panel, soundedskeptical, arguing that private firms ought to have the opportunity tovoluntarily comply before being compelled to turn over that data. ButCoburn agreed with Beers that any such legislation ought to providelegal protections for companies compelled to disclose proprietary orcustomer data.

Beers said legislation ought to be “carefully crafted” to avoid “a totalblanket liability protection”, which he said would potentially violate civilliberties.

Congress created similar protections for telecommunications and internetproviders in 2008 when it expanded the government’s powers to spy onAmericans’ foreign communications with non-individualized warrants.

Comey, Beers and NCTC director Matthew Olsen testified that al-Qaida’sability to attack the US was diminished, but not eliminated. “The risk of aspectacular attack in the homeland is much smaller than it was before2001,” Comey said.

But all three individuals said the threat of copycat attacks from self-radicalized individuals – so-called “lone wolves” – remained, and theysaid the agencies had difficulties in preventing them.

Self-radicalized terrorists do not necessarily “hit the trip wires”, Olsensaid. Comey urged Americans to report what they considered suspiciousactivity: “Listen to that feeling in back of your neck.”

Even though the threat of a major domestic terrorist attack has receded,all three government officials warned Congress against rolling back thesweeping bulk surveillance authorities granted to intelligence and lawenforcement agencies to prevent one.

Comey, who in 2004 resisted a warrantless surveillance effort thatcollected Americans’ email data, told the Senate panel he could acceptchanges around the “margins” of surveillance powers, but “don’t makechanges at the expense of core capabilities”.

Beers, who will soon leave the Department of Homeland Security afterfive years, echoed intelligence officials who have resisted surveillancereforms beyond increased transparency to Congress.

“Make sure you are comfortable with the oversight,” Beers said, “butdon't throw the baby out with the bathwater.”

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robertcharles

So they partially admit that terrorists aren't quite the threat they made them out tobe, but it's important that systems be maintained for domestic surveillance. I'm notterribly surprised, but at least they didn't mention it was needed to 'protect children.'Though I suspect they're keeping that one in the back pocket for later use.

14 November 2013 6:15pm40


HackJournalist robertcharles

The next major attack on the United States would likely come hackerstargeting nuclear reactors, power grids, financial centres, stock exchanges,etc.

It is unlikely that a non-state actor would have the technology sophisticatedenough to commence such an attack. The Chinese gov't does however, andthey've already stolen billions in intellectual property from US institutions.



JJForest HackJournalist

The Chinese already have malware programmed in to all of our USinfrastructure. They could bring us to our knees at a moments notice.


traidep HackJournalist14 November 2013 6:56pm

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Show 8 more replies Last reply: 15 November 2013 1:07am

Gee. Shame that the NSA worked behind the scenes to weaken internet


Show 3 more replies Last reply: 15 November 2013 3:20pm


griffinalabama

What a load of bullocks! My computer is down so I'm gonna die!



JJForest griffinalabama

You have absolutely no concept of what can be done with cyber-terrorism ona modern Infrastructure. Yes, people can and will die in a cyberwar.



JinTexas griffinalabama

"We must nuke our imaginations."Southpark


GovSuarveilanceVan11 griffinalabama

In my personal opinion political terrorists in Washington is the greatest




RaphNZ

Yeah now the Americans and the Israelis made Stuxnet the cat is out of the bag withhow bad things could get!



MonkeyOnTheKeyboard RaphNZ

If a Cyber war breaks out, it will be the US that starts it.



smalltownboy MonkeyOnTheKeyboard

You are wrong, my friend. It will be the US that finishes it.



Griffin Coe

The problem with cyber security is that who do you think programs the stuff that getspassed the firewalls? The same people. They challenge themselves to out play themself. Or I do in my programming.



robingeorge

Perhaps spending more time and money on cyber crime instead of vacuuming upevery ones e-mail and phone conversations would be of help. The NSA has got amillion people on its payroll in need of a job, Try tapping into there resources. Onlybeing US and British they will build an even bigger system with taxpayers money.It's your guys that f---ed around with encryption in the first place sorry I forgot.


edamon56

So the heads of these agencies claim they need the continued funding and limitlesspower to stave off cyber-terrorism...



http://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDFhttp://www.web2pdfconvert.com?ref=PDF


"The oncologist claims cutting his funding will increase cancer"

"The chef claims cutting his funding will increase hunger"

"The clown claims cutting his funding will decrease laughter"

It is all about who you ask. Take away someone's piece of the pie and you will get atantrum regardless.




JJForest

Terrorism can kill at most a few thousand and usually only a handful. A true Statesponsored cyberattack could bring down the entire Infrastructure of the USA.



RaphNZ JJForest

It's not quite that bad yet but yes if it was an inside job it could. The scarything is that everything is now computerised from produce handling to nukeplants. Luckily in many places they still have the one highly affectivesecurity measure.... the air gap. Don't plug in the system to the outsideworld!

But yes it could get very very very bad very quickly. But the USA has thebest weapons, the Chinese have massive sleeping bot nets though as do anumber of criminal organisations. Who knows many of these could becontrolled by the NSA or GCHQ and they might be prepared who knows?



emb27516 JJForest

That's funny, because the GOP almost did the same thing last month.Perhaps they should be added to the terrorist watch list.


JJForest emb27516

Shutting down government functions as meaningless and actually resulted




traidep

“The possibility that your home may be burgled regretfully forces the government tooutlaw doors, locks and window curtains so that police might better protect innocentvictims. Thank you for your cooperation.”



curiouswes traidep

thanks for the humor (rough day)

15 November 2013 2:28am2


madmonty traidep

Indeed, in fact the logical conclusion is " we need to put all you citizens intoprotective custody, this is for your own security , so all your stuff must behanded over. If you fail to comply you will be deemed a terrorist and will bedealt with accordingly, thank you for your cooperation".




Cherub69

Oh yes, what a crock. If the US has that much to hide then take those systemsoffline. Idiots. There is no justification to spy on your own citizens!





BlackjackX Cherub69

I agree. The sounds coming from Our Leaders is, 'they must protect theircorporate bribers' at all costs to the 99 %



HauptmannGurski Cherub69

Hm, the Boston Bomber still alive is a US citizen. It's not so easy; he wasonly a child when he came to the US but developed into a terrorist.

My objection is less to spying on individuals because that's where theterrorists develop. So, they look at my emails and listen to my phone calls,great entertainment. I am not even really anonymous here, and I am certainmy views are not always appreciated. The only deplorable thing is thebloody costs, one million employees in the NSA alone? We don't reallyknow because we are not good enough to be told what our taxes fund. Butthe one terrorist caught, even rendered, is kind of worth it, I guess, althoughit is a mighty costly way to save a life or three.

Economic espionage that is designed to fleece people is irking me a lotmore - because I'll pay twice. Once for the surveillance system and thenwhen governments and corporations abuse their power to fleece us all, sorrynot all, only 99 %. When the damage of economic espionage manifestsitself in 10/20 years time people will look back and be horrified. Remember,it took 10 years for the damage of full financial deregulation to manifestitself.



BlackjackX

I received a promotional from SAT some years ago, and the stated reasoning forpurchasing from them was the elimination of workers at almost all levels of thecorporation. And Huge Profits as a result! The Computer brain can run your Businessfaster cheaper and it takes only the 'decision maker' and a few technicians.Thi is the structure that the spying is enhansing and protecting, NOT the USCitizenry of the 99% -2%!





jimmycracorn

Comey urged Americans to report what they considered suspicious activity: “Listento that feeling in back of your neck.”

Here's the thing though. I don't trust my government and I'm allot more worried aboutthem than I am terrorists.



KeithFromAmerica jimmycracorn

Soon there will be "Block Mothers" to keep an eye on everyone on theirblock and report back to the secret police. May be even house mothersassigned to each individual dwelling.

It happened elsewhere. It is likely to happen here.



sebranjorgran KeithFromAmerica

Your paranoia is showing...see a doctor, why don't you. I don't want to seeyou shooting up the local elementary because the "house mothers" arewatching you.


Witness1 sebranjorgran

Nice try sebran, which agency do you work for?


Portlander9914 November 2013 7:51pm

13




As Adam Curtis wrote,

In the past, politicians promised to create a better world. They haddifferent ways of achieving this. But their power and authority came fromthe optimistic visions they offered to their people. Those dreams failed.And today, people have lost faith in ideologies. Increasingly, politicians areseen simply as managers of public life. But now, they have discovered anew role that restores their power and authority. Instead of deliveringdreams, politicians now promise to protect us from nightmares. They saythat they will rescue us from dreadful dangers that we cannot see and donot understand. And the greatest danger of all is international terrorism. Apowerful and sinister network, with sleeper cells in countries across theworld. A threat that needs to be fought by a war on terror. But much of thisthreat is a fantasy, which has been exaggerated and distorted bypoliticians. It’s a dark illusion that has spread unquestioned throughgovernments around the world, the security services, and the internationalmedia.

This is a series of films about how and why that fantasy was created, andwho it benefits.

From The Power of Nightmares. Watch at YouTube or Archive.org.


Liberator37

Cyber-attacks eclipsing terrorism as gravest domestic threat

Well, yes, they do have a point; depending how one defines "cyber attack."

An attempt to tax the Internet seems to me a particularly vicious example.



ByrdSong

Comey said, “There are no safe neighborhoods. All of us are neighbors [online].”

And that's how they hook everyone in their War of Terror: By turning what should beisolated events into world-wide events that puts everyone on edge, just as theyplanned. So take the online part out of it, and quit watching CNN, FOX or any othermajor network, and the terror is suddenly gone. In it's place we would expect to findpeople who are paid and and supposedly trained in handling these kind of thingswithout getting everyone's panties in a wad, but instead we find these same peopleplaying both side against the middle where we all sit. Jail would be a good place forthem to think about that.



Oshima

Translation: we have the power, and we aren't giving it away unless you take it awayfrom us. Of course, any effort to do so justifies the power in the first place.




victorgrauer

Wouldn't you say Snowden's actions were a type of cyberattack?



sovereignintegral victorgrauer

categorically, no. snowden didn't attack; he revealed.



sovereignintegral

. . .nation of sheep. . .govt of wolves. . . as the saying goes. i'm more inclined to be outraged over our damn collective apathy. really, what will ittake for us to wake the hell up and start acting more like citizens instead ofconsumers?


MiltonWiltmellow 28




Self-radicalized terrorists do not necessarily “hit the trip wires”, Olsensaid. Comey urged Americans to report what they considered suspiciousactivity: “Listen to that feeling in back of your neck.”

Disgusting!

That man, the one over there, you see? He's wearing an old weather beatentrenchcoat on a sunny day. Better call the police. Better safe than sorry.

That woman, the one over there, you see? She's talking to herself and she's carryinga backpack. She looks middle eastern. Something's not right. Better call the police.Better safe than sorry.

That group of boys all wearing hoodies, those over there, you see? They're laughinglike they're high. They must be up to something. Maybe they're high or doingsomething worse. Better call the police. Better safe than sorry.

This Comey fuck hopes to enlist neighbors to spy on neighbors, the fearful to targetoutsiders, the privileged to accuse the impoverished, the self-righteous to howl for theblood of anyone who transgresses.

"See something, say something," say the same people who refer to the UnitedStates as "the Homeland" -- as if true words will burn their throats so they mustwordsmith metaphors and use vague alternatives like "terror" or "homeland" or"militant" or "radical" or "threat matrix".

They have no problem spying on Muslim services, conning desperate kids intoconfessions and reading private emails exchanged by their political opponents whilecoordinating and imposing police state tactics against "activist" enemies.

They are as evil as their "cure" and a thousand times worse than any supposedthreat they claim may happen without their well-compensated vigilance.

14 November 2013 9:13pm



nuthermerican4u

See something, say something.

We saw the NSA out of control, and we said something. Note to congress: wake thefuck up and DO SOMETHING !!!!!!!



phrixus nuthermerican4u

Right-fucking-on.



Cymane nuthermerican4u

Congress doesn't need to to anything. The NSA is doing exactly what it hasbeen told to do.Which is to protect the government/corporate elite.




KeithFromAmerica

NSA is the biggest cyber-terrorist in the world. What is the US going to do to reignthis cyber-terrorist?



Cymane KeithFromAmerica

The NSA is doing exactly what it has been told to do!


Dave_Krueger

The doormat by my front door says:

COME BACK WITH A WARRANT.

The same applies when you want to monitor my private phone or internetcommunications. Exactly what is it about this concept that you intelligence moronsdon't understand?






Dave_Krueger

Senator Tom Coburn, the top Republican on the panel, sounded skeptical,arguing that private firms ought to have the opportunity to voluntarilycomply before being compelled to turn over that data

I hate to break the news to you, Tom, but when someone does something underthreat of being compelled to do it, they aren't doing it voluntarily.



Witness1

In other words "BOO!" we want to take away more of your rights.

14 November 2013 10:12pm10



phrixus

"...resist altering controversial surveillance programs..."

Translation: "Please don't stop us from violating the US citizenry's civil rights. Thatwould be so...ummm...inconvenient. We realize the terrorist threat is basically non-existent, made-up bullshit but we really like being in charge of as many people aspossible and inflating our importance when all we're really doing is destroying thebasic ideals the US was founded on. Be a pal and roll with it, ok?"

Most ten year-olds can see through this crap.

14 November 2013 10:16pm21


Witness1 phrixus

Except they don't say "please".



SalinasPhil

Playing the fear card, again?! Who else is sick and tired of it?

Message to our so called representatives: Stop approving violations of the 4thamendment and honor your oath of office. Defend the constitution.

14 November 2013 10:35pm20



Cymane

Patriotism, terrorism, surveillance and token gestures to the poor are all the tools ofa political system designed to keep the little person in their little box. You cannot berich without the poor, it just doesn't work. The corporations are in league with thegovernment to keep the status quo. Welfare was designed to stop revolution (yesthey learnt something after the Communist uprisings). Give them a little and they willbelieve we care. Time to wake up people. It's time for the citizens to take the driverseat. Voting will not change anything because every new government however radicalsoon realises that money and corporations are much more powerful than any plansthey had to change the situation. Do we just accept that in a modern world with allthe technology at our disposal we still have people who don't know where their nextmeal is coming from? I believe it doesn't have to be like this. But do you?And if you still believe the NSA is about security then read this.http://www.itproportal.com/2013/10/31/nsa-officials-told-to-evoke-911-sympathies-when-justifying-mass-surveillance/

14 November 2013 10:40pm10


dunrominfarms Cymane

See the Wikibowl comment in this listing.


finnja dunrominfarms15 November 2013 1:41pm

0




For Christ's sake, just link to it or repost it.


easye123

We've become so dependent on the fragile and vulnerable digital world that adebilitating or fatal attack on it has become more of a threat than bombs and bullets?Our "leaders" have failed us.




iareslice

It's crazy how there is always some new 'gravest threat' we need to lose some rightsand privacy to fight. What are the odds, right?

14 November 2013 10:48pm16


JoeCorr iareslice

It's crazy how there is always some new 'gravest threat' we needto lose some rights and privacy to fight. What are the odds, right?

Not a lot higher than being hit by Dumbo droppings in Maceys.



easye123 iareslice

Marijuana is a "grave" threat.




JoeCorr

I call this the Peace of Mind Gambit.

We are supposed to believe that this piece of shit...

A devastating, 9/11-style attack is “more likely now to be overseas than it is in thehomeland”...

is the result of unfettered intrusion into our private lives and the theft proprietaryinformation of commercial competitors since the sixties.

And there are enough gullible Americans to believe that's why the can sleep soundlyin their beds.



dunrominfarms JoeCorr

See the Wikibowl comment in this listing.

"THEY" may not sleep so soundly when that matures.



Strollinby

Desperate for funding...



rocjoc43rd

The biggest threat to America is the rise of a tyrant from within. If the government canjust get all the guns, then they can start moving towards total and complete controlof everyone.

14 November 2013 11:11pm12

Socrates_Thinks14 November 2013 11:13pm

16




“Listen to that feeling in back of your neck.”

I get that feeling whenever the NSA testifies...


vdev

These people have not yet explained how mass surveillance within the U.S. issupposed to help defend against attacks originating elsewhere.

This is same-old, same-old, repeat-after-me "9/11, 9/11, 9/11".

We've all had enough of this. It's time for it to stop.

14 November 2013 11:33pm11



RichardSharp

“The risk of a spectacular attack in the homeland is much smaller than it was before2001,” Comey said.

What total crap! Of course, the risk is far greater because an extra hundred million orso Muslims and others hate the US "to death." This was to be America's centurybefore Bush unnecessarily attacked and occupied Afghanistan and Iraq, killing,maiming, displacing, ruining lives, destroying treasures, property, services.... thewhole nine yards.

The war on terror's tentacles are everywhere. At (our) borders. At airports. Like theinvasiveness? The delays?

But spying on all of us? Our once private mail and telephone calls?To me, Mssrs. Comey, Beers and Olsen are lunatics.



normko RichardSharp

Criminals. Not lunatics. They support their families too well to be calledlunatics.




NY1985

Ok, so someone tell me why China or Russia would never hack a nuclear plant andthen cause a meltdown in the US. I don't want to hear, "Oh becasue they are tookind to do such a thing."



Anntink NY1985

If I had a nuclear plant, I'd make sure to keep some vital information off theinternet - and off my computer.



NY1985 Anntink

Then you would be called a Fascist and an imperialist for denying peoplethat information.



normko NY1985

If the people who build nuke plants can't keep the controls for those plantscompletely separate from the internet, then I think those people should befired right now. Are you serious? You actually think a meltdown can betriggered from a cyber attack? What's more likely to meltdown a nuke plant,a tsunami or a cyber attack? Tsunami wins by about a billion to one. Sorryjackwad.



Androidian 8




House of snakes they is.

14 November 2013 11:56pm


NY1985 Androidian

No one ever called the KGB a house of snakes, nor the FSB.



RicardoFloresMagon

Cyber-attacks eclipsing terrorism as gravest domestic threat – FBI

Considering nobody dies in cyber-attacks, we are essentially safe, then, no? Time todismantle all the spying programs, close down the NSA and DHS.

Seriously. If cyber-attacks are really the gravest domestic threat we face, then we'renot under much threat at all. If only a fraction of funds currently going to DHS isinstead invested in better crypto and network and system defenses, mass securecomputing is not far away. (Unless deliberately crippled by the NSA)



Anntink

I think we'd better pretend we believe this. Otherwise, someone is sure to stage anattack just to prove a point.



ID0439625

Republicans and billionaires are the biggest threat.




LetDemEatCake

The only terror the FBI has been aggressively fighting IS THE TRUTH. The truthgetting out is terrifying to them. All those complaints reported to the FBI will be madeavailable to the public, along with "the content". We're all friends right? Committed tojustice and doing the right thing...riiiiiiiiight?!



NY1985 LetDemEatCake

So according to you, NO Federal Police. Let all crime be dealt with by localcops, that what I'm heairng form you? Well good thing the FBI isn't goinganywhere, nothing short of WWIII will see them go anywhere.



curiouswes NY1985

Personally, I don't have a problem with law enforcement on the federal level. Ithink stopping crime is good and even crime prevention is good. Theproblem is when the federalis don't think they need a warrant.



LetDemEatCake NY1985

Absolutely not. I think the FBI is critical to our nation's security. Thecorruption that CAN be found there does not serve the people thatgovernment agency was put in place to protect. All it takes for evil to prevailis for GOOD men to do nothing. There are a lot of GOOD men and women inthe FBI. Just one tolerated rights violation is corruption. Keep that in mind.



GrapeLeaves 0




After hurricane Sandy when stores were closed, power and cell phones didn't work,banks were closed and everyone was in "survivalist" mode, it was like what wouldhappen in a cyber war.

Not pretty to think about, and not fun to experience after hurricane.


normko GrapeLeaves

Yes. Not pretty. So let's give up all our privacy to some numb nutsgovernment sclubs so they can "keep us safe". By the way, what causedyour cell phone to go out during Sandy? Was it a cyber attack? Because ifit was the NSA would like to hear from you now.



normko normko

Oh yes. Better get used to massive storms hitting your neighborhood.They're not going to go away just because you want them to. The NSA can'tprotect you from them. Can they?



ka9q

If these guys think cyber attacks are such a huge threat, maybe they should thankthe NSA for accumulating vulnerabilities and keeping them secret to exploitthemselves.

If anybody needs to be forced to reveal information about threats so that others canbenefit, it's the NSA, not industry.

One can't find a better illustration of how the NSA's actions actually make us all lesssafe.



brianBT

The BBC produced a nice documentary about this very subject.. the conspiracy folkswould call this a flag event. Something to cause panic and put everyone back inline...However if it happens I think it will only serve to galvanize the public in opposition tointelligence activities.. nothing like crying wolf!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_4NrrKTYmBI



gr0711

When the FBI director was questioned, he made no bones about the fact that hesupported the NSA surveillance state of Keith Alexander and James Clapper. It is thereason Obama, a steadfast supporter of a 1984 Orewellian regime, nominated him.We need to stand firm against opponents of privacy, firm congressional oversight andthis rogue regime, which is intent on destroying the Bill of Rights.



normko

Yes. We must check all emails and all communications between the peasantsbecause you never know when one of them will let slip that they are planning a cyberattack. I'm planning one at this very moment.......uh oh. Nevermind.



EdHyde

Not a word in there as to why spying on EVERYONE is the US is somehow criticalto stop those hacking threats. Probably because there is no justification.


griffinalabama15 November 2013 3:39am

7



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World newsFBI · Surveillance ·United States · USCongress · US domesticpolicy · US nationalsecurity · US politics · USSenate ·

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2 Dec 2013Edward Snowdenrevelations prompt UNinvestigation intosurveillance

1 Dec 2013Feinstein and Rogerssay terrorism threat to USis increasing

26 Nov 2013Snowden spywarerevelations: we need tounmask the five-eyedmonster

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1 2


This is right up there with the 50 times we killed the #2 guy in Al Qaeda.


Daniel Qualkinbush

Actually, I believe the NSA is our gravest domestic threat...



smokinbluebear

TRILLIONS of dollars spent since 9/11 on defense and "intelligence" in the U.S.Yet, they still had to TORTURE the suspects they found and now have spent anaverage of $3,000,000 each to keep the last of these suspects in Guantanamo. Thesuspects have no human rights--and even U.S. citizens (who's taxes FUND theseagencies) are spied on by their own government. These agencies are ALL out ofcontrol--they have SHREDDED the Bill of Rights and STOMPED on every law on theplanet.

TIME to DEFUND the Trillion Dollar Party!!!



SparshShroff

they just cant do without new bogeymen every couple of weeks.


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Cyber-attacks eclipsing terrorism as gravest domestic threat – FBI | World … · 2013. 12. 13. · Cyber-security concerns eclipsed those about terrorism in a hearing dedicated