The Day the Internet Died

I was really kind of dumbfounded back a couple of years ago when nobody I talked to knew about or really cared about or saw the implications of Stuxnet; nor have they cared about the even more sophisticated versions that have come along since.

Since then, I’ve had a pretty low threshold so that threats to internet security get my attention, especially when the hacking is at nation-state level or of such a scale that real damage is possible.

So my alarms went off this morning, first thing, to read of a spammer attack on an anti-spamming entity that is being described as the “biggest attack in history“ this week. Perhaps most alarming is that this was NOT a nation-state behind this attack. And yet the extent of the attack was the equivalent of a rural neighborhood launching a nuclear warhead.

Moments later I read that Evernote is attracting Malware now. This was a bit lower on my alert level since for the past going-on 72 hours, my pro account at Evernote has been fubared, and the enhanced tech support my paid subscription was supposed to have bought me is taking a beach trip and cannot be disturbed. Are you listening, potential Evernote Business folks?

About the time I’m bemoaning the fact that I’ve “put my brain into” Evernote, Ann calls from upstairs. “Says I have a virus. What do I do?”

Which brings me round to my prediction that the time will come soon when the power of cyber-weapons in the hands of rogue groups of pimply-faced teenage hackers with a grudge will be enough to bring the global economy to its knees. And the Chinese, Russian, Iranian, North Korean and other digital armies will have to wait in a long line to take their shots at us at the same time.

Our throbbing heart of commerce, communication and entertainment has grown exceptionally susceptible. Need I mention yet another ship anchor has severed a major undersea cable. It seems like a throwback that we’re still depending on thousand mile wires under water, but there you have it.

So beware, my children. Your smart phones will become dumb. The Cloud will pucker up and rain on your parade. We will be suddenly “friendless” and have to actually leave our houses to have a conversation.

The horror.