Israeli Cyber Expert: Next 9/11 Will Happen Without Suicide Terrorists Aboard the Plane

TEL AVIV, Israel, April 16, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Computer hackers are targeting electric and nuclear power plants and other critical operations around the world in audacious and continuous efforts to take control of them, says Dr. Siboni, Director of the Military Affairs & Cyber Program at Israel's Institute for National Security Studies.

"The disruption and possible infiltration of critical infrastructure is the most severe form of cyber-attack.  Such attacks on airplanes or air traffic control towers, means that hackers could cause accidents, or even to paralyze entire flight systems.  As of now, this area of capabilities is the exclusive domain of developed states.  I strongly believe however, that the next 9/11 will happen without suicide bombers aboard the plane with box-cutters but will occur because of a cyber-incident perpetrated by a terror organization."

Unfortunately, says Dr. Siboni, the strategic partnership between Israel and the U.S. has not been taken advantage of in the field of cyber secuity to the detriment of both nations.  "Establishing a bilateral apparatus that combines the technological capabilities of civil and military intelligence is currently one of the most pressing issues of the day in light of both the magnitude and severity of the threats we face. Furthermore, cyber-attacks are not the exclusive domain of the private sector. Cyber aggression is widely utilized and has become a basic weapon used in international conflicts. Countries are responsible for attacks on most national infrastructure, and governments across the western world have understood that they must allocate resources not only to purchase new tanks and aerial defense systems but also in defensive cyber infrastructure.

These issues and more against the cyber threat will be one of the main issues explored in the INSS Defensive Operations and Intelligence Cyber Security Conference & Exhibition which will be held in Washington D.C. on April 27-28.

The gathering, the first of its kind in the American capital, will bring together high ranking officials from Israel and the U.S. and showcase the cutting-edge Israeli technologies that have been developed to thwart the enormous strategic threats facing both Israel and the US.

For further information or to interview Dr. Siboni contact Laura Kam [email protected] +972-54-806-8613. 

To view the original version on PR Newswire, visit:http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/israeli-cyber-expert-next-911-will-happen-without-suicide-terrorists-aboard-the-plane-300067061.html

SOURCE The Israel Institute for National Security Studies (INSS)

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