Part 27 (1/2)

In 2010 the DPRK increased the priority of its cyber warfare unit (Office 121) to about 3,000 personnel. North Korean computers run off a Linux variant called Red Star, which has an interface similar to Windows, except with a red star replacing the Windows b.u.t.ton at the bottom left.[127]

[120] Kevin Coleman, ”Is North Korea poised to revolutionize cyber warfare?”, Defense Systems, November 15, 2010, accessed August 31, 2011, defensesystems.com/Articles/2010/11/17/Digital-Conflict-North-Korean-cyberwarfare-capabilities.aspx?Page=1.

[121] ”N.Korea Trains Up Hacker Squad,” The Chosunilbo, March 8, 2011, accessed August 31, 2011, english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/03/08/2011030800611.html.

[122] Ibid.

[123] Jeremy Laurence, ”North Korea hacker threat grows as cyber unit grows: defector,” Reuters, June 1, 2011, accessed August 31, 2011, /article/2011/06/01/us-korea-north-hackers-idUSTRE7501U420110601.

[124] Mok Yong Jae, ”North Korea's Powerful Cyber Warfare Capabilities,” Daily NK, May 4, 2011, accessed August 31, 2011, /english/read.php?cataId=nk00400&num=7647.

[125] Ibid.

[126] ”North Korea And The Cyber Bandits,” Strategy Page, March 25, 2011, accessed August 31, 2011, /htmw/htiw/20110325.aspx.

[127] Joseph L. Flatley, ”North Korea's Red Star OS takes the 'open' out of 'open source',” Engadget, March 4, 2010, accessed August 31, 2011, /2010/03/04/north-koreas-red-star-os-takes-the-open-out-of-open-source/.

Estonia

In the aftermath of the 2007 attacks, Estonia established a Cyber Defense Center in 2008 with the a.s.sistance of NATO.[128] Since then, the center has been fully accredited as a NATO Center of Excellence, bringing with it funding and multinational support. Seven NATO member nations-Estonia, Germany, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Slovakia, and Spain-formally signed into the creation of the center. The United States is also an observer member, and Estonia has recently invited Iceland to partic.i.p.ate in the center.[129] According to the Estonian Minister of Defense, after a visit to the US Cyber Command, Estonian cyber capabilities are considered in high regard by the United States.[130]

In addition to the center, Estonia has also established a Cyber Defense League of volunteers that, in the case of conflict, would perform duties under a unified military command. The volunteers are comprised of cyber security professionals in the private and public sectors who carry out regular weekend exercises to prepare for possible cyber situations. This is considered so vital to Estonian national security that the league is considering a draft to ensure all experts are available in the event of a crisis. While volunteer cyber armies are not unheard of, their motives and loyalty are considered uncontrollable. Estonia is likely trying to harness a cheap and already developed national tool.[131]

[128] ”NATO launches cyber defence centre in Estonia,” s.p.a.ce War: Your World at War (May 2008), accessed August 30, 2011, /reports/NATO_launches_cyber_defence_centre_in_Estonia_999.html.

[129] ”Foreign Minister Paet Invites Iceland to Partic.i.p.ate in Cyber Defence Centre,” Estonian Emba.s.sy in Was.h.i.+ngton, accessed August 30, 2011, /estonia-forms-volunteer-cyber-army-0398/.

European Union

In November 2010 the European Union (EU) conducted its first-ever pan-European cyber war simulation. Cyber Europe 2010, as the exercise was called, included experts across Europe who worked to hone their response to attacks from hackers trying to reduce the Internet connectivity around Europe. Moreover, the stress of this environment helped test the appropriateness of contact points among the partic.i.p.ating countries. The European Network Security Agency (ENISA) organized the cyber exercise, and all member nations-including Iceland, Norway, and Switzerland-partic.i.p.ated.[132] In March 2011 the European Union was hacked by cyber criminals in a very similar manner to the strikes on the European Commission.[133] ENISA is planning on attending the Cyber Warfare Europe conference in September 2011.[134]

[132] ”Digital Agenda: cyber-security experts test defences in first pan-European simulation,” Europa, accessed August 30, 2011, europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=IP/10/1459&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en.

[133] Tom Brewster, ”European Parliament hit by cyber attack,” IT Pro, March 30, 2011, accessed August 30, 2011, munications mini-drone to simulate an attack on a national communications satellite.[137] Personnel dedicated to France's cyber warfare capabilities include 130 engineers and researchers with links to French universities, as well as US and UK cyber experts who provide advice to other French departments on improving their organic network securities. The DGA intends to grow these numbers by 30 per year for the next 30 years.[138] A major focus of the DGA is currently to develop secure networks for the French Naval Forces, including Naval Aircraft, by implementing an intranet.

[135] Peter Sayer, ”France creates new national IT security agency,” CIO, July 10, 2009, accessed August 30, 2011, .au/article/310622/france_creates_new_national_it_security_agency/#closeme.

[136] ”Cyber attack on France targeted Paris G20 files,” BBC News, March 7, 2011, accessed August 30, 2011, /story.php?i=7388378&c=FEA&s=SPE.

[138] Ibid.

Germany

Germany established a Cyber Defense Center (CDC) in June 2011 to combat the growing attacks on German networks.[139] The Cyber Defense Center is modestly staffed with six employees from the Federal Office for Information Security, two from the German Office for the Protection of the Const.i.tution (a domestic intelligence agency), and two from the Federal Office of Civil Protection and Disaster a.s.sistance. These 10 employees will eventually be joined by representatives from the Federal Police, Federal Office of Investigation, the Bundesnachrictendienst (a foreign intelligence agency), the German armed forces, and the Customs Criminal Investigation Office. The center is the result of the ”Cyber Security Strategy for Germany,” approved in February 2011, which also plans to work closely with the private sector.

A few weeks after the CDC was established, it became a target of a group of hackers known as the ”n0n4m3 crew,” or the No Name Crew. The hackers broke into the CDC networks and stole information from a program used by German police to help track criminals.[140] Two of the hackers involved were subsequently tracked down and arrested, but the successful attack on the CDC is likely to increase the focus and resources allotted on the center by the German government to avoid further embarra.s.sment.

[139] Jorge Benitez, ”Germany establishes new Cyber Defense Center,” The Atlantic Council, June 16, 2011, accessed August 30, 2011, /en_us/blogs/hacking-crew-attacks-german-national-cyber-defense-center-072211.

India

In August 2010 the Indian government told its agencies to enhance their capabilities in cyber warfare.[141] The strategy directed government agencies to develop capabilities to break into networks of unfriendly countries, set up hacker laboratories, set up a testing facility, develop countermeasures, and set up CERTs for several sectors. The agencies at the forefront of this strategy were the National Technical Research Organization, the Defense Intelligence Agency, and the Defense Research and Development Organization.[142]