Top > Webmaster > 2006 > December > 2006-12-10

US Authorities Warn Against Possible Cyber Threat, Analysts Calm

A radical Muslim group caused minor alarm in the online business world after the United States government issued a warning regarding an internet attack that the group is possible to carry out. Although the government said the threat might materialize, experts and web analysts said that it was unconfirmed, and that there is no immediate danger for the business world. The attack mentioned referred to possible interference with the U.S. stock market and other banking websites, but proved to unsubstantial.

The notice was issued last week, on Thursday, and was based on one of the posts in the forum of "Jihadist Web site". The alleged post was calling for an attack on the United States` stock market through online resources and mentioned December as the time frame. Homeland Security Department gave this explanation, but the actual notice was released by the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team, and caused some elements of the online-based financial world in the U.S. to panic.

Following 9/11 the physical security around all financial bodies and firms in the United States has been strengthened. Injuring the financial markets of the United States can have a catastrophic impact on the American economy, and terrorists are targeting such establishments. Online security has also been strengthened as the number of malware attacks grows. Although such attacks are regarded seriously, as for now it seems that the threat is not immediate, and might not be carried out at all. Currently, everything seems to be normal and most firms are portraying "business as usual".