Cartoon 790: Does this make sense?

In the news are revelations about the computer virus known as “Flame”, an American government creation. This act is like throwing a lit match at someone that is holding something flammable while you are wading in a pool of gasoline.

America is a nation that has cyber enabled its mechanisms [internet connected]. A program called “Shoban” was developed to highlight the vulnerabilities [American businesses are not required to notify the government or individuals of attacks]. The developer of Shoban was shocked at the hundreds of thousands of access vulnerabilities with personal equipment and in industry and government. Even with notification of the vulnerabilities often nothing is done to remedy the situation.

How often has a nation been attacked in a manner “unexpected”. What about the planes as weapons in 911. Tom Clancy was a best selling author in the 1980s. He sold millions of copies of his books. His books appeared on the New York Times best seller list and often stayed there for weeks. Two his books were made into movies, “The Hunt for Red October” and “Patroit Games”.

One of his widely read best sellers used planes as weapons. It specifically referenced an attack on the Congressional building and wiping out Congress and the President. Why did the press not mention this awareness during the 911 incident? Tom Clancy’s books were a favorite among “Hawks” and neo-conservatives. Perhaps the media was afraid what it might suggest about 911, maybe wanton duplicity or conspiracy.

Today we see in the news America enhancing cyber security. Just two years ago all the major traffic lights at rush hour in Montgomery County of Maryland stopped working. This caused a traffic jam of unbelievable proportions. A similar, almost simultaneous situation occurred in Northern Virginia. In both cases they wrote it off as a glitch and promptly buried it. One speculation was that it was a test by a foreign power of system disruption capability. The Chinese, among others, have been working on cyber access and control within America for over a decade.

The American government has subcontracted to private industry so much of its military capability that there is no reasonable way the government can ensure security. In industry and business key infra structure electronic components are foreign made. A year ago we learned about our latest jet fighter technical specifications being stolen through a cyber link of a contractor. It is another story now buried. The other technical story that never makes the American press is North Korea’s cyber prowess.

I imagine this is how things will unfold. It will be another “Pear Harbor” surprise. You will wake up in the middle of night to sirens going off. You will try to turn on your lights and realize you have no electricity or the bulb immediately blows. There will be no running water and the sewage will begin to back up. No television, phone or cell phone service. You get in your vehicle and there is inconsistent street lighting. The traffic lights are either off or green in all directions. Soon the streets are jammed. The gas pumps are not working. The long haul natural gas and gasoline pipes are not pumping.

Civil disobedience occurs. The police are unable to cope. No one knows if things are a local or national problem. Society deteriorates. The quandary for national government leadership; do you attack with nuclear missiles knowing that any reciprocal response would preclude America’s ever returning to the way it was before? Do you throw the baby out with the bath water?

America’s Achilles heel is it electronic dependence.