CIA plays Cyber-Wargames

The CIA has been conducting a three day exercise dubbed 'Silent Horizon' this week, to aid recognition of large-scale hack attacks and to measure how effective responses are to these possible acts of cyber war / cyber terrorism:

The exercise was being conducted in Charlottesville, Virginia, by members of the CIA's Information Operations Center, which evaluates foreign threats to U.S. computer systems, particularly those that support critical infrastructures. It was expected to conclude Thursday.

The federal government has conducted various attack simulations since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington, which killed about 3,000 people and prompted the U.S. war on terrorism.

Top U.S. intelligence officials say it may be only a matter of time before the United States is attacked again by terrorist groups including Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda.

Cyber attacks, which have drawn less publicity than possible chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear attacks, are viewed by U.S. officials as a potential al Qaeda weapon against the U.S. economy.

More from Reuters.

Is the world on the brink of widespread cyberwar? Would terrorist organisations turn to the computer rather than the bomb? Or is this more 'Power of Nightmares' stuff? Let us know what you think here.