Every aspect of our lives are under threat of cyber attack, claims Eugene Kaspersky.
Gold Coast, Australia – Eugene Kaspersky, CEO and co-founder of Kaspersky Lab, today delivered his keynote address on the Threats of the Age of Cyber Warfare at the international AusCERT IT security conference on the Gold Coast. Within his speech, the company’s founder shared the worst case scenarios that are keeping him awake at night and giving him nightmares.
“We are aware of cyber criminals… However, now we are moving from the cyber crime age to the cyber war age. Everything we have is digital. Everything is connected to the internet; planes, cars, even the infrastructure of the hotel I’m staying in.
“There are so many serious machines and critical networks, like power grids, connected to the internet. Hackers have the power to connect to whatever they want. Nothing is 100% protected and that’s why we have to take action, before it’s too late.
“Many countries recognise cyber space as a big opportunity for military action. It’s very easy to create cyber weapons – you just need money, computers and knowledge and you can create something that can damage more than regular weapons.
“The good news is that finally governments recognise that cybercrime is a very serious issue and are starting to cooperate. Governments are the ones who need to make this world more secure.
“The only solution to protect us is to introduce secure industrial systems. Design secure operating systems. Is this possible? Yes. There are ideas about how we can make it happen, there are prototypes and it will appear in the future.
“We’re living in the digital world. Our kids will keep living there. They can’t live without IT systems and being connected. Our responsibility is to design our world in a more secure, safer way so they can be connected safely and protected against hacks and cyber weapons.
“I’m sure they will not let the worst case scenarios come true.”
Eugene described a number of catastrophes that were the result of malware, including the 2003 US East Coast black out that was caused by the Blaster worm. He also spoke about the 2008 Spanair flight that crashed and killed more than 100 passengers, which occurred due to technical failure which was a result of malware as well.
“The difference is that these were accidents. They were a side effect of malware. But it shows you just how much damage can be done with malware. If you think this was bad, wait for cyber warfare.”
Founded in 1997, Kaspersky Lab is a leading developer of secure content and threat management solutions. Up until 2007 Eugene Kaspersky headed the company’s antivirus research before being named CEO of the company in the same year. He is widely recognised as a global leader and expert on computer security.
About Kaspersky Lab
Kaspersky Lab is the world’s largest privately held anti-malware company. It delivers some of the world’s most immediate protection against IT security threats, including viruses, spyware, crimeware, hackers, phishing, and spam. Over 400 million people worldwide are protected by Kaspersky Lab products and technologies. The Kaspersky Lab Australian and New Zealand headquarters is located in the Docklands, Melbourne. Kaspersky Lab Australia and New Zealand has extensive consumer and corporate channels and locally based technical support technicians. Learn more about Kaspersky at: www.kasperskyanz.com.au
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