Truth About Computer Security Hysteria
Raid on E-tebbe
Rob Rosenberger, Vmyths co-founderTuesday, 14 November 2000
NEWSBYTES REPORTER HANAN Sher filed a newswire with the headline "Cyberterror Should Be Int'l Crime - Israeli Minister." He quoted former science minister Michael Eitan: "the Internet should not be a potential battleground... Instead, computers and networks should provide a meeting place between people. I, for example, play bridge over the Internet."
| Put yourself in the shoes of an Israeli or Palestinian whose son died in street fighting. How would you feel if a bureaucrat compared your loss to a bad AOL connection? |
I never expected such tripe to come from a ranking Israeli or Palestinian official. Read his quote again: the guy raised hacking to the level of genocide. I know bridge players take their game seriously, but — terrorism? Just because you couldn't play someone in Albuquerque?
Put yourself in the shoes of an Israeli or Palestinian whose son died in street fighting. How would you feel if a bureaucrat compared your loss to a bad AOL connection? Palestine and Israel should take grave offense at Eitan's comments.
I suppose Israel's former science minister will use the Nuremberg trials as a template for Internet justice. And I suppose he'll call for a raid on Entebbe the next time a 14yr-old tries to hijack a kosher PC. Why not kidnap Mafiaboy from his home in Canada? Let him rot in prison for heinous war crimes conducted against Jews worldwide.
Yes, when I think of terrorism, I think of ... ping packets. The attack on the USS Cole pales in comparison to what Ehud Tannenbaum did. Israel's former science minister can think of no more honorable reason for diplomats to gather in the Hague.
I want peace to reign in the Gaza region. I really do. I want Palestine and Israel to live together as brothers, not enemies. But I can tell you this — hacking isn't the same as terrorism. Just ask any USS Cole sailor on eternal patrol.