Hackers, terrorists and nations all use computers, but who really is capable of damaging the critical infrastructure of the United States? The UNH Cyber Threat Calculator was unveiled Thursday, Jan. 25, 2007, at the Department of Defense Cyber Crime Conference 2007 in St. Louis, Missouri. The UNH Cyber Threat Calculator was developed by researchers at UNH Justiceworks and students, and offers a new method to identify and quantify the threats posed to the United States' cyber infrastructure.
A cyber attack could have a significant impact in the United States. Targets could include the energy sector; emergency response and preparedness systems; financial services; and telecommunications; or even the agricultural sector.
To determine the overall threat level, analysts enter data for a particular organization or country into the calculator, which assigns a value to variables that measure the actor's intent and technological capabilities. These variables assess the actor's intent to use cyber warfare means, as well as its technical capabilities to put such means into practice. The higher number assigned to a possible attacker by the calculator, the greater the threat.
For example, does the country have an interest in attacking the United States? What has been its behavior historically toward the United States? Does it have the organizational structure and operational environment to launch an attack? Does it have the economic and operational means to do it?
Key Points:
- Cyber threats against U.S. infrastructure are a real and growing threat
- The impact of a cyber attack could be substantial.
- A cyber attack could impact a number of sectors in the United States, including agriculture, emergency response and preparedness systems, transportation, energy, health care, financial services, and telecommunications.
- The two of the top cyber threats to the United States are China and Russia because they have the intent and technological capabilities to do so.
- 85 percent of the cyber infrastructure is owned by the private sector.
- UNH Cyber Threat Calculator assesses threats posed by any actor – a person/terrorist, political or religious group or nation – to the U.S. cyber infrastructure. It is expected to be made available to private industry later this year.
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