AP reports that CIA is kicking off an internet war game that will last for 3 days. The goal of this secretive war game called “Silent Horizon” is to practice defending against an electronic assault. The exercise is set to take place in Charlottesville, Va. according to the article. It also seems that there is industry involvement in addition to the government. However, the participants are not disclosed. Below are some excerpts from the article:
The simulated attacks were carried out five years in the future by a fictional alliance of anti-American organizations, including anti-globalization hackers. The most serious damage was expected to be inflicted in the war game’s closing hours.
The national security simulation was significant because its premise – a devastating cyberattack that affects government and parts of the economy with the same magnitude as the Sept. 11, 2001, suicide hijackings – contravenes assurances by U.S. counterterrorism experts that such far-reaching effects from a cyberattack are highly unlikely. Previous government simulations have modeled damage from cyberattacks more narrowly.
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The government’s most recent intelligence assessment of future threats through the year 2020 said cyberattacks are expected, but terrorists “will continue to primarily employ conventional weapons.” Authorities have expressed concerns about terrorists combining physical attacks, such as bombings, with hacker attacks to disrupt communications or rescue efforts.