The Changing Internet: Cybersecurity

Overview

Wednesday, September 7, 10:00am-11:30am
Format: Lecture, featuring guest respondents
Lead: Jonathan Zittrain, featuring Jack Goldsmith

This module will draw on central themes from the previous day regarding the unique qualities of the Internet, and the culture and architecture of openness – of protocols, interfaces, and values – that make it a generative space. What are the threats to this generativity? How do forces like consumerism, corporate interest, government and other controls, and cybersecurity put the open Net at risk? Concepts such as cyberwar will be surfaced via case examples, including phenomena such as Stuxnet and Ghostnet; the role of hackers such as AntiSec, LulzSec, and Anonymous will also be considered. Jack Goldsmith will offer a turbo talk on the most salient issues in cybersecurity from a national security and public policy perspective; this will be followed by Q&A, with audience participation.

Required Readings

Stuxnet

• Kim Zetter, How Digital Detectives Deciphered Stuxnet, the Most Menacing Malware in History, July, 2011.
• Michael Gross, “A Declaration of Cyber-War,” Vanity Fair, April 2011, http://www.vanityfair.com/culture/features/2011/04/stuxnet-201104

Ghostnet

• Information Warfare Monitor, “Tracking GhostNet: Investigating a Cyber Espionage Network,” Report JR02-2009, March 29, 2009, http://www.nartv.org/mirror/ghostnet.pdf

Anonymous

• Nate Anderson, “Prolific spokesman for Anonymous leaves the hacker group,” Ars Technica, May 19, 2011, http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/05/why-anonymous-spokesman-is-leaving-the-group.ars.

Recommended Readings

Stuxnet

• John Markoff, “Vast Spy System Loots Computers in 103 Countries,” New York Times, March 28, 2009, http://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/29/technology/29spy.html
• Jeremy Kirk, “GhostNet Cyber Espionage Probe Still Has Loose Ends,” PC World, http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/166901/ghostnet_cyber_espionage_probe_still_has_loose_ends.html

Ghostnet

• William Broad and David Sanger, “Worm Was Perfect for Sabotaging Centrifuges,” New York Times, November 18, 2010, http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/19/world/middleeast/19stuxnet.html
• William Broad et al, “Israeli Test on Worm Called Crucial in Iran Nuclear Delay,” New York Times, January 15, 2011, http://www.nytimes.com/2011/01/16/world/middleeast/16stuxnet.html

Anonymous

• ABC 360 Documentary, Anonymous: Just for the lulz?, July, 2011.
• Peter Bright, “Anonymous speaks: the inside story of the HBGary hack,” Ars Technica, February 15, 2011, http://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/news/2011/02/anonymous-speaks-the-inside-story-of-the-hbgary-hack.ars.