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All Things Digital Writer Arik Hesseldahl on reports Iran is behind a recent string of cyber-attacks against banks.
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US security officials suspected hackers backed by the -- Iranian government.
Are behind the recent wave of hacking attacks on major US banks may be yours with more on this Aircastle -- a writer for all things digital air welcome back to the show.
-- what is the evidence they have this is true.
The other fact is we don't know by the haven't government hasn't officially acknowledge this it's basically.
Come out a New York Times story Wall Street Journal picked up their -- -- today.
I wrote about it today for all things.
Are -- let's look at the banks here it's.
Bank of America Capital One Citi PNC HSBC Wells Fargo.
You name it appear big bank you're on this list -- -- -- -- these stories over and over again.
How worried should -- be.
Probably in this particular case not so much the attacks that have been carried out what we do know about them.
They have no financial motive it was intended to kind of gum up the works make it difficult for people to get access to the money -- convenient -- Let's be clear about the what consumers -- so if I try to go to my bank's website -- -- -- voted to move money around -- to pay a bill or whatever you couldn't get in the front door.
Precisely it was kind of like I would compared to going to the branch in person -- ten million people -- Waiting in line for it.
You're not gonna get there you -- you -- gonna -- up since they don't really get in and start moving money around they're just locking the doors you have basically just flooding the computers around the -- the bank's website is called a denial of service attack -- -- very well understood.
Kind of problem.
All kinds of web sites for almost a decade of had to suffer through.
Various iterations of these these -- it OK so -- -- is part of this yes so explained that this is the new and somewhat troubling part of it cloud services side companies like Amazon run them Google run on Microsoft has this.
So you're not saving things on your computer they exist somewhere happen often -- -- these in these large data centers that are operated in.
You know lights out -- situations and basically what they or our computers for higher you can.
Install software on -- and and get some high capacity computer in computing muscle.
And the basic point is businesses love them because they don't have to buy thousands of servers when they want wanna run a big web service should be application it's a great thing for business but.
Anybody can go in and have an account on Amazon Web Services are Google web services -- Microsoft.
Or whatever.
There's a lot of smaller companies into this well rackspace is on Texas is very well now on this -- -- join Erica I think using our technology against us yes.
But let's remember one other bit of important information here.
The US has been conducting -- declared cyber wars with Israel.
Against Iran since probably 2009 what are we doing we have been attacking their nuclear research installations with the malware called stocks net.
Gals flame in one case of stocks that -- -- their nuclear centrifuges to spin out of control and explode.
We have turned their computer -- going.
Half jurors I think that very thing that is that most of the free world considers wrong and no legal -- -- They're going after consumers.
Right going after me personally precisely what they're trying to do well all's fair in love and war as we always now and I.
Well let's say this is a legitimate -- if you consider the fact that we are -- war and I'm not taken Iranian side here understand.
Iran has retaliated for the attacks have been carried out against it by Israel and the United States against American citizen -- he also have to understand the Obama administration put out -- the executive order recently.
The declares cyberspace is functionally equal.
In warfare militarily speaking to crowned the air space cyberspace -- place is a legitimate domain for warfare now.
I've written you have to if you go back and look at all things do you have I've been covering this now for about a year and a half.
And I've been walking through kind of -- logical problems I have with this the reason I'm not I'm not surprised that we've had this retaliation is because.
US and Israel have been carrying out this on acknowledged -- declared war.
As I said though there's good reason for it and we're certainly going out after weapons of the state that we're not going after individual citizens it's a whole different kettle of fish.
And I know people out there care deeply about you know.
Their money in their bank Harry -- thanks -- thank you for coming on tonight.
Appreciate your time.
It's a fascinating topic we'll have to continue to -- -- thank you yeah.
