UK already 'major world power' in cyberwar

The UK government already has a "considerable" number of attackers and defenders that make it a "major world power" in cyberwarfare, according to a leading US expert. Scott Borg of the Washington DC-based US Cyber Consequences Unit, a well-connected research group, told The Register that the British military and security …

[Paul Donnelly]

I declare a judgement of....

Boys will be boys!

[NB]

Borg.. seriously?

I mean, wait.. what? Seriously?!

[Jolyon Ralph]

Doesn't this mean

that 4chan is already a cyber superpower and deserves a seat at the UN Security Council?

[Stuart 37]

borg

Resistance is futile....

[h4rm0ny]

Coat your misdeeds in superiority

So behaviour that would be frowned upon from Russia or China (or especially from the US on us), is slipped past us by dressing it up as having that essential, never quite defined, We're Good At It Because We're British gloss. Don't feel shame, just pride.

[amanfromMars 1]

Communication at the Speed of Sight and Server Message Block Behest/Dodgy Request?

"Among the top cyber security experts I personally know, there are people who are or have been punk rockers, special operations soldiers, goths with lots of piercings, motorcycle gang members, ageing flower children, serious athletes, total societal drop-outs and ultra-nerds." And identified here as having the finest dynamic minds on the planet?

""One special virtue of British politicians and senior civil servants, when it comes to cyber security, is that they seem more aware of how much they don't know than their American counterparts," he said." ..... Their Saving Grace when Defending the Wicket and Dismantling the Field with Spectacular Runs and Magnificent Strokes.

Who or what then, at GCHQ Cyber Security Operations Centre, is Madame/Pimp ..... the Project's Program ProCurator Fiscal. Who or what Phishes Phormed Swarms Pharming Constructive Counters and Seeding New IntelAIgents ..... in one of those New Fangled Quantum Entangled InterNetworking Applications...... or Thinks to Provide and Driver with them?

I'd like a word with that cool lady/hot sugar daddy.

"Information technology remains an area where many of the most talented and innovative people have extremely unconventional backgrounds." ...... Borderline Disturbed, some would Fear, Chris, but Never with Friends at Hand and Helping for then is it QuITe Definitely Pliable Manic and SMARTer Humbling Genius.

[IndianaJ]

How can this be?

"... they seem more aware of how much they don't know than their American counterparts ... "

Surely this implies the American counterparts are single cell organisms.

[Destroy All Monsters]

Leading US experts agree that they should be rightsized

"The UK government already has a "considerable" number of attackers and defenders that make it a "major world power" in cyberwarfare, according to a leading US expert."

All right.

So when's the cyber-warfare equivalent of the Suez Canal "last imperial gasp for the UK" going to happen?

[John Smith 19]

A cadre of naughty boys

Whoever could you get to disipline them and make them obey orders?

Are you thinking what I'm thinking?

[Glen 9]

Great...

now they only need more than 0.5Mbps broadband to share and they could actually do something.

[Neil Stansbury]

Huh!

[snip] a "major world power" in cyberwarfare [/snip]

Err I'm sorry - but this would be these people be same government & civil servants that produced NHS Net and GSI?

I take it this would also be the same "major world power" that issued green camo kit to troops in a desert warfare campaign?

If these people think we're "capable" then we're actually far more likely to be bending over pants around our ankles presenting our chocolate starfish to all who wander aimlessly past.

[blackworx]

Mmmmmm

Resistance is floor tile

[Anonymous Coward]

@Jolyon Ralph

4chan jumped the shark this year - Yes it used to be rather underground, but now it's just another site with dumb pics and kids who think they're leeb.

[3BEPOTEKCT]

Ояебутема!

[puff]We're the One Nation[/puff]

In the Land of NoFear.

73

[Anonymous Coward]

@Neil Stansbury

They didn't "produce" NHS Net or GSI, some contractors did (for the NHS, the contractor is CSC who also provide IT services the US Airforce cyber warfare division), our expert cyberwarriors just missed that our own internet presence could be used as a weapon against us.

I know they don't test websites after an exploit is found/ reportes (CESG certainly doesn't) to see if it's repaired (they believe the contractor, rather like we appeared to once believe the Americans weren't using extraordinary rendition). Since the MI5, MOD, NHS, Houses of Parliament, Foreign office websites have all been found to be vulnerable this summer (historically MI5 has been vulnerable at multiple times since 2007) they don't appear to be testing our services either, no defence of the realm.

Quite what our cyberwarriors do is a mystery as well as a secret. This is just FUD, the MPs are back from recess and someone's got a bollocking, so it's leak some information from/ to a source that couldn't possibly be connected to the UK. (that "more knowledgeable MP's" thing is one bottom kissing manoeuvre too far IMO), I'm sure we'll be hearing many more positive stories in the next few weeks about our cyber SAS.

[amanfromMars 1]

Delicious Honey Traps ..... Sweet and Sticky, Dank and Delirious, Memorable and Mysterious

"Quite what our cyberwarriors do is a mystery as well as a secret."....... By Philip Clarke Posted Friday 2nd October 2009 07:05 GMT

Well, what they do, the MicroControl of Real Lives, is a Mysterious Secret well enough known, but the How is the Question whose Answer is Immaculately Protected and Preserved with Random Self Actualised ReProgramming of Servers and Network Node Connections and Denied on Grounds of the Conspicuous Corruptible Advantage ITs Knowledge Delivers.

[Jacqui]

leet hakerz: beancounter stylee

""The British government will need a steady stream of new talent and new ideas to maintain the UK's status in this rapidly changing field. It will not be able to do this if it relies exclusively on conventional recruitment techniques."

I suppose when they reach 25 they are "retired". Already noo meejda sack anyone over 40 so why can't uk.gov get rid of 'over the hill' 25year olds - they are no longer cool teen hackerz...

Jacqui

[Jacob Reid]

I can't take that guy seriously...

His surname is actually Borg!

Resistance Is Futile.