Dear FRONTLINE

As a control systems engineer responsible for the design and implementation of industrial controls, I have questioned why industries and government entities don't just disconnect from the internet and create stand-alone Local or Wide Area Networks within their facility with no external connection to the outside world.

I understand that this slows down the sharing of data and some remote control. However, this would remove the possibility of anyone hacking into your SCADA system. If it's important enough to protect then keep all possible access out of the public domain.

Clint Strange
Lehi, Utah

Dear FRONTLINE

How can we get this program to be shown on CNN, ABC, CBS, NBC and the BBC. I feel that all of America needs to know this. I beleive that very few people realize the internet vulerability. Just this program alone should inform people of just how much effort we must put into monitoring and defeating terrorist around the world, by what ever means or resourse necessary.

Thanks for being there.

Erv See

Dear FRONTLINE

Security is the responsibility of ALL of US! I look after MY PC's and I expect YOU too look after yours. Our biggest vulnerability is the thousands of computers running Windows 9x OS's connected to Broadband ISP's. Its the Night of the Living Dead out there, thanks to the greedy irresponsible ISP's who will sell and connect Broadband to any CPU with a hard drive.

Zombie attacks are a real possibility, I receive Spam and contaminate attachments from Zombie computers all the time, I trace the DNS and see that they are coming from Broadband accounts.

Paul Mooney
Morristown, NJ

Dear FRONTLINE

I thought it was paticularly interesting to hear experts say that in fact, we could be withought power for up to 6 months in some scenarios. 6 months?!!

I tried to picture how chaotic a big city like Houston would be without their power grids for 1 week let alone months. Its hard to eat when 4 million people all need to hunt to eat tonight!

Brandon Hoffert
Houston, TX

Dear FRONTLINE

how do i obtain a transcript of the show last night and get in touch with the on camera sources at Sandia, FBI Infrastructure etc. Seemed the major threat was to our electricity system. what about transfer of money, security nuclear plants, oil and gas facilities, Fort Knox, other strategic locations

robert lenzner
new york, new york

Dear FRONTLINE

On this web page...

http://news.com.com/2100-7345_3-5205145.html?tag=nl

the article discusses Microsoft working to advance connectivity of electronics devices to Windows.

Ultimately, such code will end up being used by infrastructure devices and when infiltrated, could even serve as a base for cyber attacks. Do we really want this?

Shouldn't separate networks be used by the government, military, finance, and our infrastructure? In that way, we could ultra-secure those resources and further keep out intruders.

Ken Kashmarek
Eldridge, IA

Dear FRONTLINE

I watched the Cyberwar Special and found it disgusting. It was so bad I don't even know where to start. The guests they had were annoying, but journalistic dishonesty story was infuriating.

The program went to great pains to make a statement that Al-Qaida was planning a cyber-attack. They noted that they found diagrams of dams in Al-Qaida training camps. The editors pushed the idea that Al-Quaida was planning to launch a cyber attack on the electronic sluice gates for these dams, because "it would take tons of explosives to destroy the dams". Um, the truck bomb driven by Timothy McVeigh had about 4000 lbs of explosives - two tons.

The terrorism portion of cyberterrorism is a lie. It is simply cyber mischief. Even the supposed "dollar losses" from hackers is fairly suspect. If some hacker keeps me from shopping at Amazon for a few days then in those two days Amazon loses money from me, but after I get my internet back, I buy whatever I was going to buy anyways, so there is no net loss.

Tim Burns
Lincoln, RI

Dear FRONTLINE

Thank you for this program.

Now with outsourcing of U.S. Engineering R&D/QA and replacement of American engineers with foreingers on H-1B, L-1 VISAs simply to obtain cheaper labor, we are even more vunerable. The corporate boardrooms have dismissed professional ethics and loyalty as something too costly for their bottom line.

What few are discussing is engineering itself is a skill as powerful as an AK47 in terms of sabotage. Outsourcing products to foreigners to build instead of Americans leaves even more vunerabilities in US systems. Not only does US law not cover other countries, but these very foreigners have no vested interest in America itself. They are not Americans. It's amazingly naive, both of the US government/DoD and the private sector to just assume that foreigners would adhere to engineering ethics with a nation they have absolutely no loyalty to.

While I was impressed to see some training exercises in defense system penetration, still most engineers will announce in no
uncertain terms there is much work to do. I'm with Clarke on wishing for once, solutions are made before the disaster happens, not after.

One way to assist is to keep American engineers
employed and not cast aside for cheaper foreign replacements.
Not only is it immoral, it completely weakens the technical superiority of the US and reduces the number of Americans
capable of protecting their country from just the topic of this program.

Robert Oak
Portland, Oregon

Dear FRONTLINE

Agree, in principality, with the post by Mark McMurtry. Thank you for your show!!

The 'threat' is more than possible, it is inevitable. As we develop more dependance on technology, we also increase our own vulnerability. There IS no going back there is ONLY learning to protect and defend our 'brave new world'! (as is part of our heritage as a nation)

It is disturbing that our 'enemies' are learning our frailties at our own universities or from our own creations! But this is to be expected as 2 of their tools are deception and subterfuge.

Please continue to keep us informed and (for those who care) apprised of tools and methods in which we can help to defend against these kind of attacks.

Americans, take up your muskets (tools of defense)...!!

Thanks again for your programming,
(as for understanding, validity or experience: I am now over 20 years with the computer industry)

Terry Bever
Tulsa, OK

Dear FRONTLINE

The threats shown on this program are disturbing. It was reassuring to hear the voices and views of the cyber experts that are preparing a defence/offense. I am going to view the entire program on-line and prepare a summary that I can use to spread these ideas within my cyber corner of the cyber world. If many of us in this cyber corner talk and spread these ideas among our peers it will help those who are directly responding to cyber attacks.

Thank you Frontline! Repeat this program in the near future.

Lawrence Baker
Quincy, MA

Dear FRONTLINE

America as a nation is attacked in cyberspace thousands of times "DAILY". Our bank systems are hacked for credit card and idenification information, as well as, other business. It is reported daily and it seems that know one really feels that we are "ALREADY" under attack from inside our borders and from the outside.

WE ARE ALREADY IN A CYBER WAR!

Will it take a "CYBER 911" attack, before we will make this issue as great a priorty as the attacks, on the World Trade Center and the others on September.

We have the ability, the personal, the finances and the "NEED" to develop aggressive "CYBER MILITARY UNITS" or "CYBER SEALS" that can defend our country, from any attack from cyberspace!

The NSA, FBI and CIA all have departments that address this issue, but I do not see a "REAL" centralized departmant in our present system under Homeland Security.

My question is this:

Should or will, Homeland Security centralize and develop "ONE" department to handle any and all threats of "CYBER WAR"?

David Wardell
Dallas, Texas

Dear FRONTLINE

If man's mind can conceive it......it can be done......beware of the unknown for it will be the downfall of all who don't head the warnings that we see everyday.

Ken Fitschen

Dear FRONTLINE

I am a network security officer that deals with fortune 500 companys. It is sad to say this but like most of our security practices in the USA, we take the reactive approach and are always worried about cost. I would have hoped that this changed after 911, but I guess not.

Do I think that a techno doomsday is imminent ? Probably not, but also taking a more proactive appoach to newer technologies that exist could PREVENT a cyber attack (and is a lot cheeper than just waiting for it to happen).

Mark Zane
Rochester, New York

Dear FRONTLINE

The problem that I see is a sloppy procedural agenda. If you are not doing the proper inventory control of your systems, then how can you know if when a problem arises where it fits on severity scale to such an level that you are vunerable.

I thought that when using Unix or a flavor you only loaded the modular components that you needed. That is what the complaint has always been about microsoft especially "NT" loading too many services that make it ripe for an attack.

I would like to finish up my studies and am looking at Ecommerce to make that happen . Where can you recommend that I focus my technical expertise to upgrade my skillset to lend a hand. I see management as the way to organize, and feel that I can ask the tough questions to secure the right people who have the interest to delve into the depths of cyberspace until I get back up to speed.

John Gostomski
Baltimore, Maryland

Dear FRONTLINE

I viewed your program with interest. I felt that even in a virtual world, the psychology of the perceived threat can hinder your daily routine. If not by a significant amount now but, as the virtual products proliferate our social fabric i.e. games, cell phones and wireless PDAs, there will be nothing to prevent a hacker to use existing and future market products and platforms to assail the critical control systems of a nation.

Using the guise of a video game for example; think of it, game systems can be used to access the internet can be designed to allow gamers to attack some systems without the knowledge of the user. Our imagination is the best defense/offense.

Pierre Dupuy
Bedford, Nova Scotia,

Dear FRONTLINE

Thankyou for finally opening up the "sloppiness" of Microsoft products (especially their OS and its potential security vulnerabilities) for all to see.

Question 1:
Why, within this whole Program was IPversion6 not mentioned thouroughly.
It is exponentially so much stronger security-wise (built in IPSEC ready,...) than IP4 -which is 20years old!
-This is something that should be implemented on all networks. Why hasn't it?

John Cybernitsky
Miami, Florida

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posted apr. 24, 2003

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