Berkeley Lab Scientific Computing Seminar

Date:

Thursday, November 2, 2006

Time:

1:00pm-2:00pm

Location:

Building 50A-5132

Seminar Speaker:

William A. Barletta
Department of Physics
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Cambridge, MA

Title:

Evolving Face of Cyber-conflict and Information Warfare

Abstract:

This seminar addresses the potential for organized malicious behavior on the part of nation-states and non-governmental organizations and networks against the social, economic, political, or military assets and interests of local state and national governments involving computerized information technologies. The object of the analysis does not differentiate between cyber warfare and cyber terrorism as in both cases a principle measure of merit for the attacker is the deleterious effect on the objective of the attack rather than the proximate gain by the miscreant a motivation that is the converse of the aim of the cyber-criminal who seeks his own gain or gratification regardless of the effects on the party attacked. Nonetheless, the technical considerations, instruments and methods are the same as those found in peer-on-peer criminal activity. The seminar presents some necessary aspects of an international social and legal framework and offers recommendations for the United Nations to follow-up the processes begun in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS).

Sponsor of Seminar:

Deb Agarwal

Scientific Computing

Contact Esmond G. Ng EGNg@lbl.gov