Think A Virtual 9-11 Can't Happen? Think Again!

Close your eyes for a minute and think what it would be like if today there was no Internet. There is no e-mail. Only white noise exists when you turn on your TV or radio for news. Your phone doesn't pickup a signal. The stock market crashes unexpectedly. Millions, even billions of dollars belonging to businesses and banks across the country have disappeared. Your SS#, drivers license and other information that identifies who you are ceases to exist anymore. The airports are shutdown. The subways are not moving. Even the city traffic lights go out. Emergency response teams (police, fire, ambulance) can't be reached. People become stranded (some injured, sick or even dying), but there is no way to help them because every hospital is closed. Makeshift triages must be built. It's a land of utter chaos. You are lost in the middle of it. Sound familiar? Much of what I just described should paint the images of 9-11 in your head. Much of what I just described should paint the images of what a Virtual 9-11 could be like!

It's been almost 5 years since the September 11th attacks and despite all the conflicting political views people have on how the attacks could of been prevented, how Americas should handle day-to-day life in the aftermath and the mixed emotions involving the war, we can all agree on one thing. That 9-11 was a giant wakeup call. I saw it as a giant slap in the face to every ignorant American (myself included) to think so highly of ourselves and our country that no harm could ever come to us. That no terrorist could ever orchestrate such an elaborate plan and pull nearly the entire act out flawlessly. It was the ultimate show of arrogance by the US for many years, until the curtain was dropped and the show was over on 9-11. These days we all believe it can happen again. The US may be the most powerful country, but we are not untouchable. We are not immortal. Evil can find us. It sounds scary, but it is reality...something we lacked prior to 9-11, a realistic mindset.

When it comes to technology and the online world, a realistic mindset is sometimes altered. What we may feel is virtual and not real or important, is in fact very real and can affect us in a very real "non-virtual" way. The technology we use is not only important, but in some cases it is vital to our existence. Vital to keeping this country operating in the manner in which we are accustom to. Today more than ever, we live in a world that is intertwined with computers. Nearly everything we do in our everyday lives is somehow tied to and dependent on computers. This applies even to those who aren't tech savvy. For this very reason, The Department of Homeland Security is worried that terrorists might try to disrupt the American economy by launching future attacks in cyberspace.

So officials staged a simulated assault last month called "Operation Cyber Storm" to see if the country is ready. In the largest cyber-exercise yet, more than 100 experts from Cabinet-level agencies, foreign governments and corporations like Microsoft and Symantec simulated the kind of cyber-attack that they believe hackers, anarchists or terrorists might be planning. The war game drew in 115 agencies from the FBI and CIA to the Red Cross. IT companies and state and foreign governments also played a role in responding to the mock attacks. The US has been accused of being unprepared for a determined attack by hackers, so this exercise gave us an excellent opportunity to enhance our nation's cyber security which is critical to protecting our nation's infrastructure. The week long simulated attack was carried out on secure computers in the basement of the Secret Service in Washington DC.

We haven't seen what they call a cyber-Pearl Harbor to date, but we know that they're capable of hitting different parts of our finance, transportation or emergency systems. Cyber Storm simulated attacks on power grids, banking systems, finance systems, retail computer systems, health care records and programs that control traffic on the land and in the air. Exercises like these are good. They teach us what the limitations are on our responses and how we can do better. This helps us prevent, or at the very least be prepared for, a Virtual 9-11 if it would ever take place. To make sure the simulated attack didn't become real, the computers used in the $3 million exercise were carefully segregated from the online world. Planners know a successful attack could have a devastating effect on the American economy because the Internet and Internet activities are the backbone of our economy. That's exactly the kind of target al Qaeda has indicated it wants to strike and the Internet might be vulnerable. If you weren't already aware, the federal government knows that the Department of Homeland Security cannot effectively function as the cyber security focal point intended by law and national policy.

Now a month later, I find myself heading back to DC this week to continue to help - to do my part in preparing for and/or preventing a Virtual 9-11. I'll do my best, so sleep well tonight. Know that your electronic world, that many of use have taken for granted, will still be here and functioning properly come morning.