Publication

This report charts the rise of cyberangst and examines the evidence cited by those who predict imminent catastrophe. The author looks at questions such as how real the threat is and whether terrorists could cripple critical military, financial and service computer systems. He argues that many of these fears are exaggerated, showing that not a single case of cyberterrorism has yet been recorded, that hackers are regularly mistaken for terrorists and that cyberdefenses are more robust than is commonly supposed. Nevertheless, he concludes that the potential threat is undeniable and seems likely to increase.